Full Definition of peruse
transitive verb. 1a : to examine or consider with attention and in detail : study. b : to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner. 2 : read especially : to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner.
What is an example of peruse?
To peruse is defined as to read something carefully. An example of peruse is to read through the classified ads in a newspaper.
What did peruse used to mean?
Original Use of Peruse
One common object of study was, of course, the book, and by the early 1500s, peruse had come to mean, simply, "to read through or over." When a writer meant to convey something about the carefulness of a perusal, they did so by using a modifier.