Scruple — Defs

01 n. A weight of twenty grains; the third part of a dram.

1.
A weight of twenty grains; the third part of a dram.
2.
Hence, a very small quantity; a particle.
“I will not bate thee a scruple.” — Shak.
3.
Hesitation as to action from the difficulty of determining what is right or expedient; unwillingness, doubt, or hesitation proceeding from motives of conscience.
“He was made miserable by the conflict between his tastes and his scruples.” — Macaulay.

Phrases & compounds

To make scruple — to hesitate from conscientious motives; to scruple.

02 v. i. To be reluctant or to hesitate, as regards an action, on account of considerations of conscience or expedience.

imp. & p. p. Scrupled; p. pr. & vb. n. Scrupling

1.
To be reluctant or to hesitate, as regards an action, on account of considerations of conscience or expedience.
“We are often over-precise, scrupling to say or do those things which lawfully we may.” — Fuller.

“Men scruple at the lawfulness of a set form of divine worship.” — South.

03 v. t. To regard with suspicion; to hesitate at; to question.

1.
To regard with suspicion; to hesitate at; to question.
“Others long before them . . . scrupled more the books of heretics than of gentiles.” — Milton.
2.
To excite scruples in; to cause to scruple.[R.]
“Letters which did still scruple many of them.” — E. Symmons.