- scope (1)
- "extent," 1534, "room to act," from It. scopo "aim, purpose, object, thing aimed at, mark, target," from L. scopus, from Gk. skopos "aim, target, watcher," from PIE *spek- "to observe" (cf. Skt. spasati "sees;" Avestan spasyeiti "spies;" Gk. skopein "behold, look, consider," skeptesthai "to look at;" L. specere "to look at;" O.H.G. spehhon "to spy," Ger. spähen "to spy"). Sense of "distance the mind can reach, extent of view" first recorded c.1600.
- scope (2)
- "instrument for viewing," 1872, abstracted from telescope, microscope, etc., from Gk. skopein "to look" (see scope (1)). Earlier used as a shortening of horoscope (c.1600). The verb is recorded from 1807.