What is the Latin word for scan?

The usual Latin words for “scan” are expendō, perpendō, pēnsitō; also exāminō, ponderō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“scan” in Latin

expendōto weigh; to pay out; to judge perpendōto weigh or examine carefully or exactly, ponder, consider pēnsitōto weigh (out); to think over, ponder, consider; to pay (out)exāminōto weigh or consider; to examine ponderōto weigh; to ponder, reflect on, weigh up

The English word scan itself goes back to Latin scandō, through scandere.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

scan

To measure verses, pedes versus syllabis metiri (Cic., Or., 57, 194; Kraft adds, versum per pedes metiri: pedes versiculi enumerare, from the grammarians): ☞ scandere versum is low Latin (Diomed.).

To examine narrowly, expendere; perpendere; pensitare: examinare; ponderare.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for scan?: The usual Latin words for “scan” are expendō, perpendō, pēnsitō; also exāminō, ponderō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.