1. an uneasy feeling arising from conscience or principle that tends to hinder action. see synonyms at qualm.
2. A unit of apothecary weight equal to about 1.3 grams, or 20 grains.
3. A minute part or amount.
4. to hesitate as a result of conscience or principle: "A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket” ( john Dennis).

1. A weight of twenty grains; the third part of a dram.
2. hence, a very small quantity; a particle.
3. hesitation as to action from the difficulty of determining what is right or expedient; unwillingness, doubt, or hesitation proceeding from motives of conscience; to consider if something is ethical.
4. A doubt or uncertainty concerning a matter of fact; intellectual perplexity.
5. A measurement of time. hebrew culture broke the hour into 1080 scruples.
6. to be reluctant or to hesitate, as regards an action, on account of considerations of conscience or expedience.
7. to regard with suspicion; to hesitate at; to question.
8. to doubt; to question; to hesitate to believe; to question the truth of (a fact, etc.).
9. to excite scruples in; to cause to scruple.

1. A weight of twenty grains; the third part of a dram.
2. hence, a very small quantity; a particle.
3. hesitation as to action from the difficulty of determining what is right or expedient; unwillingness, doubt, or hesitation proceeding from motives of conscience.
4. to be reluctant or to hesitate, as regards an action, on account of considerations of conscience or expedience.
5. to regard with suspicion; to hesitate at; to question.
6. to excite scruples in; to cause to scruple.

1. to have scruples; be reluctant as regards action or decision; hesitate about doing a thing; doubt; especially, to have conscientious doubts.
2.
3. to have scruples about; doubt; hesitate with regard to; question; especially, to have conscientious doubts concerning: chiefly with an infinitive as object (now the only common use).
4. perplexity, trouble, or uneasiness of conscience; hesitation or reluctance in acting, arising from inability to satisfy conscience, or from the difficulty of determining what is right or expedient; doubt; backwardness in deciding or acting.
5. A unit of weight, the third part of a dram, being ounce in apothecaries' weight, where alone it is now used by english-speaking people: this is 20 grains (= 1.296 grams).
6. A small fraction.
7. eighteen seconds of time.
8. one twelfth of an inch; a line.
9. one tenth of a geometrical inch.
10. A digit; the twelfth part of the sun's or moon's diameter.
11. hence, figuratively
12. A small part; a little of anything, chiefly in negative phrases: sometimes confused with scruple.

1. hesitate on moral grounds
2. a unit of apothecary weight equal to 20 grains
3. an ethical or moral principle that inhibits action
4. raise scruples
5. have doubts about
6. uneasiness about the fitness of an action