Lewis & Short

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scrūtor, āri, ātus, v. dep. a. [scruta; cf.: γρυτεύει, scrutatur, Gloss. Philox.], qs. to search even to the rags, i. e. to search carefully, examine thoroughly, explore a thing; to search, examine a person (syn.: indago, rimo).

  1. I. Lit., of things: domos, naves, Cic. Vatin. 5, 12: loca abdita, Sall. J. 12, 5: omnia foramina parietum scrutatur, Petr. 98, 1: paleam, id. 33, 4: terraï abdita ferro, Lucr. 6, 809: ignem gladio, Hor. S. 2, 3, 276: lumina manibus, Sen. Oedip. 965: scrutatus sum quae potui et quae vidi omnia: inveni duos solos libellos, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 74, § 182; cf. Tac. H. 4, 1: L. Crassus spiculis prope scrutatus est Alpes, Cic. Pis. 26, 62: occulta saltuum, Tac. A. 1, 61: mare, id. Agr. 30; id. G. 45; cf.: scrutandi orbis gratiā, Plin. 5, 1, 1, § 9: canis scrutatur vestigia (ferarum), id. 8, 40, 61, § 147: venantium latibula scrutatus, Curt. 6, 5, 17: vias presso ore (canis), Sen. Thyest. 499: equorum delicta scrutantes, Amm. 14, 6, 25.
    Of personal objects: Eu. Ostende huc manum dexteram … Nunc laevam ostende … Jam scrutari mitto, to search you, Plaut. Aul. 4, 4, 24: non excutio te, non scrutor, Cic. Rosc. Am. 34, 97; so of searching, Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 31, 1: consuetudinem salutantes scrutandi, Suet. Vesp. 12 fin.; and of a searching for spoil, Tac. H. 3, 25.
    1. B. Transf., to seek for, search out a thing (post-Aug. and very rare): venas melini inter saxa, Plin. 35, 6, 19, § 37: iter, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 172; cf. infra, II. B.
  2. II. Trop., to examine thoroughly; to explore, investigate: quod est ante pedes nemo spectat: caeli scrutantur plagas, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 1, 18, 30; Cic. Div. 2, 13, 30 (Trag. v. 277 Vahl.): omnes sordes, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 3, § 11; cf: nomina ac vultus, alacritatem tristitiamque coëuntium, Tac. A. 16, 5: animos ceterorum secretis sermonibus, id. H. 4, 55: voluntatem, Quint. 2, 4, 26: locos, ex quibus argumenta eruamus, Cic. de Or 2, 34, 146; cf. id. Part. 3, 8: desinamus aliquando ea scrutari, quae sunt inania, id. Rosc. Am. 30, 83; cf.: quod non ratione scrutabimur, non poterimus invenire nisi casu, Quint. 5, 10, 22: interiores et reconditas litteras, Cic. N. D. 3, 16, 42: origines nominum, Quint. 1, 4, 25: omnia minutius et scrupulosius, id. 5, 14, 28: inferiora quoque, id. 7, 1, 27: exoletos auctores, id. 8, 2, 12: scripturas, Vulg. Johan. 5, 39.
    Absol.: totum diem mecum scrutor, facta ac dicta mea remetior, Sen. Ira, 3, 36, 3.
    1. B. Transf. (cf. supra, I. B.), to search into; to search out, find out a thing (so not till after the Aug. per.): fibras Inspiciunt, mentes deum scrutantur in illis, Ov. M. 15, 137: finem principis per Chaldaeos, Tac. A. 12, 52: sua Caesarisque fata, id. ib. 16, 14: arcanum ullius, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 37: ut causas hujus infinitae differentiae scrutetur, Tac. Or. 15; cf. Plin. Ep. 4, 30, 11: harenarum numerum et montium pondera scrutari, Amm. 14, 11, 34.
      P. a.: scrūtans, antis (late Lat.), perh. only in sup., that most closely examines: militaris rei ordinum scrutantissimus, Amm. 30, 9, 4.
      Hence, adv.: scrūtanter, searchingly, Ambros. Ep. 80.Act. collat. form scrūto, āre, acc. to Prisc. p. 799 P; cf. γρυτεύω, scruto, Gloss. Philox.
      Hence,
        1. b. scrūtor, ātus, pass., Amm. 28, 1, 10; 15, 8, 16; Aur. Vict. Orig. 6, 3.