In an answer to another question this sentence was proposed:
Was it specifically mentioned as part of their teaching, or they just happened not to have killed anyone?
In comment, another user wrote:
That doesn’t scan in English. Sorry.
What does scan mean in this context? I've searched the online dictionaries I normally consult (NOAD, M-W, Dictionary.com, TheFreeDictionary.com, Oxford Dictionaries Online, Cambridge Dictionaries Online), but cannot find a meaning other than "(of verse) conform to metrical principles" (NOAD).