Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

I suppose that if your boyfriend uses it then it's a word, but it might be difficult to find anyone else who has ever heard of it. My guess is that he may have derived it from peruse (to look over or read carefully) or perusal (the noun from the verb: My perusal of the book took half the night.) Sometimes the verb is used to mean to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner, although some folks think that meaning is just wrong. In any case, I think that's where your boyfriend got it, but every once in a while I'm wrong!

Peter