Scrutinium

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A careful inspection or investigation, particularly the counting or review of votes in an election or conclave
2. The process of close scrutiny, most notably the formal examination or ballot tallying in a decision-making assembly
3. Intense examination, especially referring to the official count or review of votes during proceedings such as papal elections

Etymology: The Latin "scrutinium" comes from the verb "scrutari," "to search or examine closely," which itself derives from "scruta," meaning "trash" or "rubbish." The original image is of rummaging through heaps of discarded odds and ends, sorting what is worth keeping from what is not. Roman usage stretched the sense from searching through junk to careful examination of anything that needed judging. The noun came to mean a close, methodical inspection, and that is the sense the English word "scrutiny" carries. In Latin the same root also supplied terms for checking votes and for examining candidates, so the idea of a careful, official look runs through the word's history.