Scrutators

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Persons who examine something very closely and carefully, looking for flaws, errors or hidden meanings
2. Those who make a careful, critical inspection of a matter in order to judge its accuracy or worth
3. Examiners who study a subject in close detail, often with a suspicious or searching eye

Etymology: "Scrutators" is simply the plural of "scrutator," which English borrowed directly from Latin "scrūtātor," meaning one who examines or searches closely. The Latin noun was built from "scrūtārī," to search or investigate, a verb that itself traces back to "scrūta," rubbish or old things, suggesting the sense of rummaging through a heap to look carefully at what is there. In English, a scrutator is a person who scrutinises something, whether a document, an argument or a set of accounts. The plural form simply applies this sense to more than one examiner, as when a committee or group of inspectors is said to have looked over a matter together.

Synonyms: examiners, inspectors