Lewis Short
(adverb) : 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).
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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, : scrūtanter, searchingly, Ambros. Ep. 80.Act. collat. form scrūto, āre, acc. to Prisc. p. 799 P; cf. γρυτεύω, scruto, Gloss. Philox.—Hence
* Scrūtor, ātus, pass., Amm. 28, 1, 10; 15, 8, 16; Aur. Vict. Orig. 6, 3.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary