inspection Look up inspection at Dictionary.com
late 14c., from O.Fr. inspection, from L. inspectionem (nom. inspectio) "a looking into," from inspectus, pp. of inspicere "look into, inspect, examine," from in- "into" + specere "to look" (see scope (1)). Inspector "overseer, superintendent" is from c.1600; as a police ranking between sergeant and superintendent, it dates from 1840.