peruse

play

verb pe·ruse \ pə-ˈrüz \

Definition of peruse

perused; perusing

transitive verb

1 a :to examine or consider with attention and in detail :study

b :to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner

2 :read; especially :to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner

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perusal

play \pə-ˈrü-zəl\ noun

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peruser

noun

See peruse defined for English-language learners

See peruse defined for kids

peruse was our Word of the Day on 09/20/2015. Hear the podcast!

Examples of peruse in a Sentence

To refresh my memory of the old days, I asked for some Dailies of the thirties from the morgue, sat down at the large round oak table at the end of the editorial room on the second floor, and began riffling through the musty pages. Soon a burly middle-aged man appeared and seated himself at the table to peruse some recent issues of the paper and take notes. —Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
I've even found myself idly perusing the Yellow Pages, not frantic for a plumber, just browsing. —Lesley Conger, Writer, October 1968
Bessie asked if I would have a book … , and I begged her to fetch Gulliver's Travels from the library. This book I had again and again perused with delight. —Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
He perused the newspaper over breakfast.
perused the manuscript, checking for grammatical errors

Recent Examples of peruse from the Web

Drop in to peruse their vast wine and champagne selection, curated by Claudia Tyagi, Master Sommelier.

— bedrock-detroit, Detroit Free Press, "Plan now for the Detroit Free Press Food & Wine Experience," 30 Aug. 2017
Weapons Peruse the TSA’s allowed and prohibited items list online, and oddities like antlers, kayak paddles, and adult toys are guaranteed safe passage (although probably still not without the judging gaze of customs officials).

— barbara woolsey, CNT, "What Can I Pack in My Checked Luggage?," 21 Aug. 2017
Northern Kentucky residents are perusing tables of toys, books, collectibles and clothes during the sale.

— chris mayhew, Cincinnati.com, "Nose around World's Longest Yard sale in Northern Kentucky," 5 Aug. 2017
Louise first learned about the rock craze last spring while perusing a Facebook crafting page.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Ordinary rocks star in mission to promote kindness," 4 Aug. 2017
Ordinarily, that requires a security clearance, awarded only after a background check that peruses ties to foreign countries, associations with unsavory characters, and vulnerability to blackmail.

— andrew c. mccarthy, National Review, "Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Pakistani IT Scammers," 29 July 2017
The department store’s selection is unparalleled: Peruse sultry options from high-end companies like Wacoal and Chantelle (both of which go up to size 44H) as well as more demure offerings from Calvin Klein and Natori.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
Held at the Mosquito Supper Club on July 6, partygoers perused and purchased this tome dedicated to dogs and their digs, as well as sampled oysters-on-the-half-shell and rose wine.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "In the doghouse: Book launch for 'Dog Decor: Canines Living Large'," 12 July 2017
John Glisson pushed a shopping cart on Saturday, perusing the aisles of Save-U-More Fireworks.

— sarah gish and ellen cagle, kansascity.com, "Things that ‘go boom’: KCK fireworks store a family tradition," 1 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peruse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Peruse has long been a literary word, used by such famous authors as Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Thomas Hardy, and it tends to have a literary flavor even in our time. Peruse can suggest paying close attention to something, but it can also simply mean "to read." The "read" sense, which is not especially new and was in fact included in Samuel Johnson's 1755 dictionary, has drawn some criticism over the years for being too broad. Some commentators have recommended that peruse be reserved for reading with great care and attention to detail. But the fact remains that peruse is often used in situations where a simple "read" definition could be easily substituted. It may suggest either an attentive read or a quick scan.