DictionaryRoot: scrupulus
Latin
scrupulus
small sharp stone; pang of conscience
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noun / verb
scruple
SKROO-pul/ˈskruːpl/
A hesitation about whether an action is morally right.
Etymology
The “small sharp stone” became an image for an uneasy conscience, probably through the idea of a pebble in one's shoe. A scruple is that inward discomfort prompting hesitation about doing wrong.