scope

The range of things a book, project, law, or activity includes or deals with.

• The project has a limited scope.
• We expanded the scope of our research.
• Does this problem fall within the scope of the law?

How to use it: scope of something (We discussed the scope of the project.); within/outside the scope of something (Travel costs fall outside the scope of this review.)

Similar words: range, extent, coverage

Common phrases: scope of something, within the scope, outside the scope, broad scope

A device such as a telescope or microscope that helps you see distant or very small things.

• Look through the scope.
• He adjusted the scope to see the target clearly.
• These scopes let us observe distant stars.

Common phrases: rifle scope, through a scope, adjust the scope

The part of a computer program where a particular name or piece of data can be used.

• This variable has local scope.
• The name is not available outside this scope.
• A variable declared inside the function goes out of scope when the function ends.

Common phrases: local scope, global scope, variable scope, out of scope

To look carefully at a place or thing to learn about it.

• Let's scope out the area.
• She scoped the room for empty seats.
• We scoped out several locations for the party.

How to use it: scope something out (We scoped the restaurant out before booking a table.)

Similar words: check out, inspect, examine

Common phrases: scope out something, scope the area

To examine or treat inside someone's body using a thin instrument with a camera.

• The doctor will scope your knee.
• They scoped her stomach to find the bleeding.
• Has the surgeon scoped the joint yet?

Common phrases: scope the knee, scope the stomach

To examine something through a microscope, which makes very small things look larger.

• We need to scope this sample.
• She scoped the insect to identify it.
• Have you scoped the cells on this slide?

Similar words: examine microscopically

Common phrases: scope a sample, scope the specimen