scance

scance noun: a crescent-shaped structure of stones built to afford cover in battle.

Noun

scance (plural scances)

A crescent-shaped structure of stones built to afford cover in battle.
- As for the state of Antwerp, the enemy has fortified so strongly that their ships cannot possibly remove him; for he bends half his force to defend the scance of Calloo, upon the Fladers' side of the bridge, and the other half on the brabant side, which is full of scances, so that one hundred men...1584, Joseph Stevenson, Calendar of State Papers: Foreign Series, of the Reign of Elizabeth, page 406
- We are making up fast—almost within shot now. The scance, too, is a good hundred yards off.1898, The American Magazine, volume 45, page 596
(Scotland, obsolete) A gleam or glow.
- In silk an' sattin ilk ane scances,
  An gauze beside,
  They've loupit o'er a' sort o' fences
  Wi perfect pride.1813, Ebenezer Picken, Miscellaneous Poems, Songs, Etc, page 128
- And look at the scance that comes frae his bonny een.1897, George Stirling's Heritage: A Story of Chequered Love, page 34
(obsolete) A dose of radiation.
- The succeeding scances may even be prolonged to twenty or twenty-five minutes, but it will then be necessary to use light massage to the part exposed to the electric rays.1901, Dental Hints, volume 3, page 8
- Ordinarily a temperature from 200 to 350 degrees is sufficient, with scances from thirty to sixty minutes, followed, when there is stasis or a weak circulation, by the “Morton wave current.”1910, International Journal of Medicine and Surgery, volume 23, page 280
(obsolete) A social discussion.
- The members of the club were all eager to debate such matters as poetry, art, religion, music, and natural science with open minds. From these creative scances were born many of the ideas that contributed to the Industrial Revolution, as well as its financial sponsoring.2012, Ebbe Almqvist, History of Industrial Gases, →ISBN

Verb

scance (third-person singular simple present scances, present participle scancing, simple past and past participle scanced)

(Scotland) To give a cursory examination.
- And ye must also allow these Circumstances to be scanced upon, as my scant Information and shallow Capacity will admit of; This only ye are to expect, and this according to the measure of Light and Assistance, which GOD shall be pleased to give me, I shall presume and endeavour to shew you.1718, G. C. (a Lover of Peace and Truth), Scotland's Present Circumstances
- His agents a', wi' sullen gloom
  Mute, measure, as he dances
  With horrid rage, damning the loom
  And weavers; soon he scances
  Their claith this day.1876, The Poems and Literary Prose of Alexander Wilson
(Scotland, obsolete) To reflect on; to consider.
- I marvell our records nothing at all
  Do mention Wallace going into France;
  How that can be forgote I greatlie scance;1638, Henry Adamson, The Muses Threnodie
- But, as I said, she scanced the time o' nicht,
  Gaed for a dip, and held it to the licht.1869, William Lindsay, Auld Yule, and other poems, page 33
(Scotland) To shine.
- Glad cam the dawn in rosy robe,
  Whilk day our Saviour rase,
  An' flang her scancing dewy veil
  Out ower the hills and braes.1818, The Edinburgh Magazine and Literary Miscellany
- Sounds a-sounding, colors bright,
  Sadness lacking, brilliant light;
  Future scancing, Forward sight,
  Singing day, painted night.1966, Allen B. Hovey, The Hidden Thoreau, page 137
To take cover in a scance.
- Zutphen is victualled, and the States' men lie over the river, entrenched and "scanced" to hinder the enemy's coming further into the Velewe.1916, Joseph Stevenson, Calendar of State Papers, Foreign Series, of the Reign of Elizabeth

Adjective

scance (comparative more scance, superlative most scance)

Reproachful
- The wild confusion, which the shout of mobs, The din of company, the jest, the sneer, Envy's scance look, and Hatred's savage frown Upraise1805, Samuel-Egerton Brydges, Censura Literaria
- Plenty other football managers have been damned by early snap judgments on players but there were scance looks all around from the Hamilton contingent when they were informed by Archie Knox that their 15-year-old first team player wasn't being considered for Scotland's under-17s, allegedly on the...2013 September 4, Stewart Fisher, “He was more than a Championship player. It was time.”, in The Herald Scotland

Examples of scance in a sentence

It was by that time dark but proceeded to build scances and prepare to hold the position on a front of about half a mile.1901, Sessional Papers, volume 35, number 12, page 50:
The scances were of five minutes for each ovary.1921, Iowa Medical Society, Journal of the Iowa Medical Society, volume 11, page 327:
He scanced towart the beerial shaft an crossed hissel.2011, Wulf Kurtoglu, Caroline Macafee, Braken Fences, →ISBN, page 91:
The latest acquisition of the club, annoyed by the scance glances which he began to receive and Vernon Ivey giving him looks of pure poison, called out above the hubbub: "Gentlemen.2014, Harry Swiers, Tall Storeys, →ISBN:

Forms of scance

Noun
plural	scances
Verb
third-person singular present	scances
present participle	scancing
past participle	scanced
past	scanced
Adjective
comparative	more scance
superlative	most scance

Questions about scance

What does scance mean?: Scance means a crescent-shaped structure of stones built to afford cover in battle.
How do you use scance in a sentence?: It was by that time dark but proceeded to build scances and prepare to hold the position on a front of about half a mile.
What part of speech is scance?: Scance can be a noun, a verb or an adjective.
What is the plural of scance?: The plural of scance is scances.

Words near scance in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: scance (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this entry: “scance.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/scance. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.