Boy Scout

American  

noun

1. a member of an organization of boys BoyScouts, founded in England in 1908 by Lieutenant General Sir Robert S. S. Baden-Powell, that seeks to develop certain skills in its members, as well as character, self-reliance, and usefulness to others.

2. (lowercase) a member of any similar society elsewhere.

3. (lowercase) a person whose deeds, obliging personality, idealism, etc., exceed normal expectations.

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boy scout British  

noun

1. See Scout

2. informal an apparently virtuous and innocent person

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Sensitive Note

Use of boy scout to mean “someone who is obliging and idealistic” usually implies that the person is naive or unworldly.

Etymology

Origin of Boy Scout

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Edwin was a Boy Scout and a Pokémon devotee.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025

Trinkets from his Boy Scout days, winter sweaters for the dogs, and $60 worth of food were among his missing belongings.

From Slate • Oct. 8, 2025

It was a long fall for the mall, which opened in 1977, featuring performances by the Hawthorne High School Band and a local Boy Scout color guard.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2025

The on-screen Blue Boy Scout conveyed a Smallville-bred sense of humility throughout, saying he almost didn’t take the role of Superman for fear of being too busy to help with a newborn.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025

"Don't forget loyal and trustworthy—you've got me sounding like the perfect Boy Scout."

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements