Definition of "scope"

scope¹

/ˈskəʊp/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural scopes
1. The breadth, depth or reach of a subject; a domain.
2. (weaponry) A device used in aiming a projectile, through which the person aiming looks at the intended target.
  Quotations
  Coastie yanked her eye away from the night scope when those big lights were caught by it and amplified in intensity. Her entire view had gone white in an instant. “I can't see!” Temporarily blinded, she let touch become her primary sense, dropped the M40, and grabbed her alternate weapon, an M16 with an ACOG day scope that was already registered for the same distance.
  2014, Sgt. Jack Coughlin, Donald A. Davis, On Scope: A Sniper Novel, St. Martin's Press
3. Opportunity; broad range; degree of freedom.
  Quotations
  It is also true that the vast majority of teachers are highly skilled and experienced professionals who are already doing an excellent job in the classroom, thus leaving relatively little scope for improvement.
  2001, Mike Hughes, Andy Vass, Strategies for Closing the Learning Gap, page 19
  She had in fact put in a resume at another firm that gave their graphics team much more scope.
  2014, Mary Kitt-Neel, Lie Down in Princess Position
4. (programming) The region of program source code in which a given identifier is meaningful, or a given object can be accessed.
  Quotations
  A variable's scope is the region of a program within which the variable can be referred to by its simple name. Secondarily, scope also determines when the system creates and destroys memory for the variable. Scope is distinct from visibility, which applies only to member variables and determines whether the variable can be used from outside of the class within which it is declared.
  2001, Mary Campione, Kathy Walrath, Alison Huml, The Java Tutorial: A Short Course on the Basics, Addison-Wesley Professional, page 72
5. (logic) The shortest sub-wff of which a given instance of a logical connective is a part.
6. (linguistics) The region of an utterance to which some modifying element applies.
7. (slang) A periscope, telescope, microscope or oscilloscope.
8. (medicine, colloquial) Any medical procedure that ends in the suffix -scopy, such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, etc.
verb
third-person singular simple present scopes, present participle scoping, simple past and past participle scoped
1. (informal, transitive) To perform a cursory investigation of; scope out.
  Quotations
  We don't know, so let's scope the action before having another shoot out.
  2004, Don Harris, The Drunk
  “Let's scope the scene.” The gang advanced, searching for humanity.
  2012, Khalid Patel, Hollow Shotguns
2. (medicine, colloquial) To perform any medical procedure that ends in the suffix -scopy, such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, etc.
3. To define the scope of something.
  Quotations
  Before scoping the investigation and developing a work plan, it is necessary to establish reasonable goals and objectives.
  2003, An Introduction to Characterizing Sites Contaminated with DNAPLs, page 10
  The purpose of witness interviews is multi-faceted but generally includes scoping the investigation, understanding the facts and issues at play, and assessing the accountability of individuals and possible defences for the company and […]
  2018 January 19, Judith Seddon, Practitioner's Guide to Global Investigations, Law Business Research Ltd.
4. (programming) To limit (an object or variable) to a certain region of program source code.
5. (informal) To examine under a microscope.
6. (birdwatching, informal) To observe a bird using a spotting scope.
  Quotations
  `Maybe there was another darker bird and it had flown away before we could scope it?' `Yes there must have been,' came the grim-faced reply.
  2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 199

scope²

/ˈskəʊp/

noun
plural scopes
1. (obsolete) A bundle, as of twigs.