Crossword Genius

Perused the letter preserved (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

scanned

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'perused' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with perception as well as being past participle verbs.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?

'letter preserved' is the wordplay.
'letter' becomes 's'.
'preserved' becomes 'canned' (canning is a kind of preserving).
's'+'canned'='SCANNED'

'the' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for scanned that I've seen before include "given thorough examination" , "Thoroughly examined" , "examined closely" , "Glanced over" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.