scruple
Meaning
a feeling of doubt or hesitation about the rightness or morality of an action.
a very small unit of weight, used especially by apothecaries.
to hesitate or be reluctant to do something because of moral doubts.
Usage
she had no scruples about accepting the money from the controversial source.
the pharmacist measured out a scruple of the rare powder.
he would not scruple to bend the rules if it meant winning the contract.
Etymology
the word 'scruple' entered english in the late middle english period from the latin 'scrupulus', a diminutive of 'scrupus', meaning a sharp stone or pebble. the latin term evolved metaphorically to signify a source of anxiety or a nagging doubt, much like a small, irritating stone in one's shoe. this sense of a minor but persistent worry was then applied specifically to matters of conscience. the apothecaries' weight sense derives from the same latin source, representing a very small unit, metaphorically a tiny pebble of weight.
Analysis
the entire word 'scruple' functions as a simplex unit in modern english. it is a loanword from latin.