scruple
noun
- antique unit of mass and other quantities
- The act of hesitating or doubting on moral grounds
verb
- hesitate or doubt on moral grounds
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈskɹuːpəl/ / /ˈskɹupəl/
noun
Etymology: From Old French scrupule, from Latin scrūpulus (“(literally) a small sharp or pointed stone; uneasiness of mind, anxiety, doubt, trouble; scruple”) and scrūpulum (“one twenty-fourth of an ounce”), diminutives of scrūpus (“a rough or sharp stone; anxiety, uneasiness”); perhaps akin to Ancient Greek σκύρος (skúros, “the chippings of stone”), from ξυρόν (xurón, “razor”), from ξύω (xúō, “to scrape”), from Proto-Indo-European *ksew-. Doublet of escropulo and escrupulo.
- Hesitation to act from the difficulty of determining what is right or expedient; doubt, hesitation or unwillingness due to motives of conscience; moral qualm.
“Before her flew Affliction, girt in ſtorms, / Gaſht all with guſhing wounds; and all the formes / Of bane, and miſerie, frowning in her face; / Whom Tyrannie, and Iniuſtice, had in Chace; / Grimme Perſecution, Pouertie, and Shame; / Detraction, Enuie, foule Mishap and lame; / Scruple of Conſcience; Feare, Deceipt, Deſpaire; / Slaunder, and Clamor, that rent all the Ayre; […]”
“[U]ntil the Commonwealth [of England] torture was constantly used as an instrument of evidence in the investigation of offences, whether municipal or political, without scruple, and without question as to its legality.”
- A weight of ¹⁄₂₈₈ of a pound, that is, twenty grains or one third of a dram, about 1.3 grams (symbol: ℈).
“The Oyle ſerueth in many operations, and ſpecially in all colde diſeaſes, if they be inwardly, give thereof euerye morning one ſcruple to drinke, and if they be outward annoynt.”
“Bezoar (Horſe) called Hypolites, excites Sweat, reſiſts Poiſon, kills the Worms, and ſtops a Looſeneſs; the Doſe is from half a Scruple to two Scruples.”
- A Hebrew unit of time equal to ¹⁄₁₀₈₀ hour.
“If it be ask'd why the Jews divide the Hour into 1080 Scruples, the Author of the Neomeniæ ſet forth by Munſter gives this reaſon fo it, becauſe there is no number that is diviſible into ſo many ſorts as this of 1080 is; for it may be divided by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, &c.”
“The Mahometan year consists of 12 lunar months, each containing 29 days, 12 hours and 792 scruples; (1080 scruples = 1 hour) so that the year contains 354 days, 8 hours and 864 scruples.”
- A very small quantity; a particle.
“Why euery thing adheres togither, that no dramme of a ſcruple, no ſcruple of a ſcruple, no obſtacle, no incredulous or unſafe circumſtance: What can be ſaide? Nothing that can be, can come betweene me, and the full proſpect of my hopes.”
- A doubt or uncertainty concerning a matter of fact; intellectual perplexity.
“There aroſe a Scruple, nay, it amount to a Queſtion, whether to attempt an Eſcape from my Patron, one that ſo dearly Loved me, ſo fairly bought me, were juſtifiable before God and Men?”
verb
Etymology: From Old French scrupule, from Latin scrūpulus (“(literally) a small sharp or pointed stone; uneasiness of mind, anxiety, doubt, trouble; scruple”) and scrūpulum (“one twenty-fourth of an ounce”), diminutives of scrūpus (“a rough or sharp stone; anxiety, uneasiness”); perhaps akin to Ancient Greek σκύρος (skúros, “the chippings of stone”), from ξυρόν (xurón, “razor”), from ξύω (xúō, “to scrape”), from Proto-Indo-European *ksew-. Doublet of escropulo and escrupulo.
- To hesitate or be reluctant to act due to considerations of conscience or expedience.
“They wouldn't scruple to cheat us if given the opportunity.”
“On that day vvherein vve receive the Sacrament, vve are often over-precize, ſcrupling to ſay, or do, thoſe things vvhich lavvfully vve may. But vve, vvho are more then Curious that day, are not ſo much as Carefull the next. And too often, (vvhat ſhall I ſay) go on in ſinne, up to the Anckles, yea, our ſins 'go over our Heads.”
- To excite scruples in; to cause to scruple.
“It is granted indeed before that time, the Supream power was in Him [Charles I of England], and we were all his Subjects: and then perhaps ſome might Scruple to cut his throat, for there were lawes then in force against Regicides, but now ſince his Reſignation, (for ſo in our Tenents we hold this Act to be,) there is no ſcruple to be made, thoſe lawes against King-killers are ſuſpended, and he is now become as Samſon was without his ſtrength, […]”
- To regard with suspicion; to question.
“As for the writings of Heathen authors, unleſſe they were plaine invectives againſt Chriſtianity, as thoſe of Porphyrius and Proclus, they met with no interdict that can be cited, till about the year 400, in a Carthaginian Councel, wherein Biſhops themſelves were forbid to read the Books of Gentiles, but Hereſies they might read: while others long before them on the contrary ſcrupl'd more the Books of Hereticks, then of Gentiles.”
“And notwithſtanding all the clamours of their inſulting brethren, they were ſatisfied that thoſe who were moſt forward for this declaration [that it was unlawful to take arms against the king], and moſt fierce in condemning thoſe who ſcrupled it, would not keep to it, if at any time they found things were come to extremity, as the event verified.”
- To question the truth of (a fact, etc.); to doubt; to hesitate to believe, to question.
“I do not scruple to admit that all the Earth seeth but only half of the Moon.”