All 4 Uses
scruples
in
Macbeth
(Edited)
- Fears and scruples shake us.
p. 71.6 *
- Fears and scruples shake us.
p. 76.1 *
- Macduff, this noble passion,
Child of integrity, hath from my soul
Wiped the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts
To thy good truth and honour.p. 147.4 - Macduff, this noble passion,
Child of integrity, hath from my soul
Wiped the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts
To thy good truth and honour.p. 164.5
Definitions:
-
(1)
(scruples) principles that discourage certain kinds of action
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Much more rarely, scruple can be used as a verb meaning "hesitate on moral grounds" as in "He lied and did not even scruple about it."
Even more rarely and archaically, at one time a scruple was a measure of weight equal to 20 grains (about 1.3 grams).