different between scrutiny vs watchfulness

English

Etymology

From Middle English scrutiny, from Medieval Latin scr?tinium (“a search, an inquiry”), from Vulgar Latin scr?tor (“to search or examine thoroughly”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Late Latin scr?ta (“rubbish, broken trash”); or of Germanic origin, related to Old English scr?tnung (“examination, investigation, inquiry, search”), from scr?tnian, scr?dnian (“to examine carefully, scrutinize, consider, investigate”), from Proto-Germanic *skrud?n?, *skruþ?n? (“to search, examine”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)krewt- (“to cut”). Compare Old High German skrod?n, scrut?n, scrutil?n (“to research, explore”), Old High German scrod (“a search, scrutiny”), Old English scr?adian (“to shred, cut up, cut off, peel, pare, prune”). More at shred.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sk?u?.t?.ni/
• Hyphenation: scru?ti?ny

Noun

scrutiny (usually uncountable, plural scrutinies)

1. Intense study of someone or something.
2. Thorough inspection of a situation or a case.
3. An examination of catechumens, in the last week of Lent, who were to receive baptism on Easter Day.
4. A ticket, or little paper billet, on which a vote is written.
5. An examination by a committee of the votes given at an election, for the purpose of correcting the poll.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Brande & C to this entry?)

Synonyms

Derived terms

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Translations

Verb

scrutiny (third-person singular simple present scrutinies, present participle scrutinying, simple past and past participle scrutinied)

1. (obsolete, rare) To scrutinize.

Further reading

• scrutiny in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• scrutiny in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• "Scrutiny" in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• 1916, John R. Clark, "A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary for the Use of Students", scrûtnung
• Bosworth, J. (2010, March 21). An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online (T. N. Toller & Others, Eds.). Scrutnung. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://bosworth.ff.cuni.cz/027060

English

Etymology

watchful +? -ness

Noun

watchfulness (countable and uncountable, plural watchfulnesses)

1. The state or quality of being watchful; alertness, vigilance or wakefulness.

   Continuous watchfulness is maintained around the clock.

   • 1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, Preface,^[1]

     The first thing to be undertaken in this weighty work, is a watchfulness over the failings and an inlargement of the dominion, of the Senses.

   • 1784, Samuel Johnson, letter addressed to Mr. Langton dated 25 August, 1784, cited in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, Volume 2, p. 545,^[2]

     Nights of watchfulness produce torpid days […]

   • 1896, H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau, New York: Stone & Kimball, Chapter 9, p. 82,^[3]

     Every dark form in the dimness had its ominous quality, its peculiar suggestion of alert watchfulness.

   • 1944, Neville Shute, Pastoral, London: Heinemann, Chapter 4,

     The steady rhythm of the engines, the fact that he had been sleeping badly, the boredom of a flight that he had done so many times before and did not want to do again, the long humiliation and unhappiness that was always in the background of his mind, all fought against his watchfulness.

Related terms

• watchful

Translations