English

Noun

perscrutation ‎(plural perscrutations)

1. (rare) A thorough searching; a minute inquiry or scrutiny.
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Folio Society 2006, vol. 1 p. 103:

     The first and universall reasons are of a hard perscrutation.

   • 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 2, ch. 8, The Electon

     Such guessing, visioning, dim perscrutation of the momentous future: the very clothmakers, old women, all townsfolk speak of it