inspection
(ɪnˈspɛkʃən)
In ME. -ci-, -cy-, -oun; also 5 inspexion.
[a. F. inspection, -cion (1290 in Godef. Compl.), ad. L. inspectiōn-em, n. of action from inspicĕre to look into, inspect.]
1. a. The action of inspecting or looking narrowly into; careful scrutiny or survey; close or critical examination; spec. official investigation or oversight; see inspector 1. Const. of.
trial by inspection: see quot. 1872. valuation of a decimal by inspection: a process whereby a decimal fraction of a pound sterling is by rapid scrutiny valued in shillings and pence. deed of inspectorship: see inspectorship.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 46 His hours of astronomy He kepeth as for that party, Which longeth to the inspection Of love and his affection. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. (E.E.T.S.) 10457 Haue her ther-off inspeccyoun, And se her my commyssioun. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 626 Consyder the hystory with good inspeccyon. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 353 By the inspection of which statute, the sayde newe statute or ordynaunce [etc.] were conceaved in the parliament. 1607 E. Grimstone tr. Goulart's Mem. Hist. 74 The olde woman thinking that the inspection of the Urine made me to divine this. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. (1848) 18 By the casual flights of Birds, and the Inspection of the Intrails of Beasts, to learn the will of Heaven. 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. xxii. 331 Trial by inspection, or examination. Ibid. 333 Also, to ascertain any circumstances relative to a particular day past, it hath been tried by an inspection of the almanac by the court. 1830 Gray Arithmetic (1872) 79 To value the decimal of a pound sterling by inspection. 1833 H. Martineau Manch. Strike xii. 128 The account book would be..open to the inspection of all who could prove themselves to belong to the Union. 1853 Kane Grinnell Exp. xxxiv. (1856) 298 It might, on a hurried inspection, be confounded with snow. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. v. 40 During our inspection of the place. 1861 Act 24 & 25 Vict. c. 134 §192 Every Deed or Instrument made or entered into between a Debtor and his Creditors..relating to the Debts or Liabilities of the Debtor, and his Release therefrom, or the Distribution, Inspection, Management, and winding-up of his Estate. 1869 Act 32 & 33 Vict. c. 71 §125 (4) The special resolution, together with the statement of the assets and debts of the debtor, and the name of the trustee appointed, and of the members, if any, of the committee of inspection, shall be presented to the registrar. 1872 Wharton's Law Lex. (ed. 5) 488/1 Trial by Inspection was resorted to when, for the greater expedition of a cause, some point or issue..being evidently the object of sense, was decided by the judges of the Court upon the evidence of their own senses. Obsolete. 1876 Athenæum 28 Oct. 554/2 A clear distinction is drawn between inspection and examination... Inspection..undertakes the task of seeing how the school does its daily work. 1883 Wharton's Law Lex. (ed. 7) 419/2 Inspection, Deed of. |
† b. Formerly const. into (cf. inspect v. 2), in, over, upon. Obs.
| c 1450 Lenuoye 10 Commandm. Love in Stowe Chaucer (1561) 342 When ye vnto this balade haue inspeccion In my making holde me excusable. 1632 Lithgow Trav. i. 7 To have a quotidian occular inspection, in any obvious object of disastrous misfortune. 1656 Cromwell Sp. 17 Sept. in Carlyle, To have a little inspection upon the People thus divided..into divers interests. 1660 G. Withers (title) Speculum Speculativum,..being an Inspection into the Present and Late Sad Condition of these Nations. 1687 A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. iii. 19 There is a Mufty at Surrat, who has the inspection over all that concerns the Mahometan Religion. 1710 Life Bp. Stillingfleet 92 To make a due Inspection into the State of his Diocess. a 1732 Atterbury (J.), Impressions of his perpetual presence with us, and inspection over us. 1739 Tull Horse-Hoing Husb. (1740) 233 This Observation..made by Inspection upon a Glass of Water with Earth in it. 1810 Syd. Smith Wks. (1859) I. 189/1 A close inspection of the master into the studies and conduct of each individual is quite impossible. |
† 2. A sight, spectacle. Obs. rare.
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 144 Of this terrible doolful inspeccioun [a soul in flames] The peeplis hertys gretly gan abave. |
† 3. Insight, perception. Obs.
| c 1500 Prov. in Antiq. Rep. (1809) IV. 406 He hathe a brym breste, and litill inspexion withe all. 1650 R. Stapylton Strada's Low C. Warres i. 2 An exact knowledge of Councils, and inspection into Cabinets, could not be exspected from one of a sequestred life. 1709 Berkeley Th. Vision Ded., That he should manage a great fortune with that prudence and inspection..as to shew himself [etc.]. |
† 4. A plan of a piece of ground, etc. which has been inspected; a design, survey, view. Obs.
| 1694 R. Franck (title) Northern Memoirs, Calculated for the Meridian of Scotland..together with..several curious and industrious Inspections, lineally drawn from Antiquaries and other noted and intelligible Persons. 1795 Wythe's Decis. (U.S.) 119 The line in the surveyor's plat to be the boundary dividing B's inspection and M's tenement. |
5. A department or district under an inspector.
| 1888 Pall Mall G. 4 Apr. 5/1 In France..the forests of the country are first divided into cantonments and then into about 500 inspections. In each inspection there is an inspector, a garde-général, and brigadier. |
6. attrib. and Comb., as inspection-car, inspection-class, inspection-day, inspection-district, etc.
| 1753 in Maryland Hist. Mag. (1908) III. 366 Which made me apprehend they intended some Opposition to the Inspection Law. 1773 Ibid. (1907) II. 358 To compel all the Owners or Makers of Tobacco to send it to certain Inspection Houses whence it cannot be again removed till it is put on Board a Ship. 1791 Bentham Panopt. i. Postscr. 43 A Chapel..occupies upon the present plan a considerable portion of the Inspection-Tower. 1865 Pall Mall G. 26 Sept. 7/2 Yorkshire contains more coal miners than any other inspection district in the kingdom. a 1884 Knight Dict. Mech. Suppl. 501/2 Inspection car, one used by the officers of a railway while inspecting the track. 1887 Homeop. World 1 Nov. 510 Nurses' rooms, with inspection openings commanding all the beds. 1890 Railways of Amer. 146 It would require a separate article to give even a brief description of the different kinds of cars which are now used... Inspection-car, [etc.]. 1903 Westm. Gaz. 12 Jan. 7/2 The covering of the electrical inspection box at the Thames-street corner of Bennett's-hill was blown off this morning by the fusing of the wires. 1904 Goodchild & Tweney Technol. & Sci. Dict. 311/2 Inspection chamber, a chamber at the junction of drains to allow of inspection. 1906 Daily Chron. 27 Aug. 3/4 To see that these things are observed..the firm employs inspection engineers. 1907 Westm. Gaz. 13 Nov. 8/2 Free access to the valves and inspection-doors of the crank chamber is given. 1907 Ibid. 11 Dec. 3/2, I have found when towing..that the garage people have a knack of putting difficulties in the way of drivers..using the inspection pits. 1908 Ibid. 2 Apr. 4/2 There are two large inspection doors in the crank-case. 1908 Installation News II. 87/2 The straight through type of inspection box should be inserted in the conduit run at short intervals. Ibid. 148/2 The other remarkable reductions [in price] are..Inspection Fittings [etc.]. 1908 Westm. Gaz. 20 Nov. 4/2 At the rear it [sc. an automobile] has a large inspection-cover. 1909 Daily Chron. 18 Sept. 1/6 The houses were flooded by water and filth from the sewers through the stone slabs covering the inspection chambers being displaced by the flood. 1930 Engineering 21 Nov. 658/2 The front inspection lamp consists of an electric bulb with the switch above it. 1946 A. Phelps I couldn't care Less x. 76 Improperly secured inspection panels blew off my wings. 1951 Good Housek. Home Encycl. 187/1 Cast-iron manhole covers flush with the ground, technically termed ‘inspection covers’. 1967 Gloss. Sanitation Terms (B.S.I.) 26 Inspection chamber, a shallow manhole. 1972 M. Gilbert Body of Girl iv. 44 An open-fronted workshop..with two inspection pits. |