listening post

American  

noun

1. Military. a post or position, as in advance of a defensive line, established for the purpose of listening to detect the enemy's movements.

2. any foreign country or city viewed as a source of intelligence about an enemy or rival nation or one that is a potential enemy.

3. any concealed position maintained to obtain information.

   The government had listening posts to keep informed of revolutionary activities.

---

listening post British  

noun

1.  LP.  military a forward position set up to obtain early warning of enemy movement

2. any strategic position or place for obtaining information about another country or area

---

Etymology

Origin of listening post

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Previously owned albums are processed and cleaned, then put on sale in custom-built boxes, next to a listening post with an old Technics turntable and a pair of wired headphones.

From New York Times • Nov. 21, 2019

Situated close to the Iron Curtain, neutral Austria was a convenient listening post during the Communist era, according to Siegfried Beer, historian and founder of the Austrian Center for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2018

He also spent countless, monotonous hours gathering intelligence at a listening post about sinister figures who lurked in the shadows and closely monitored the movements of Border Patrol agents.

From Washington Times • Mar. 9, 2018

He set up a listening post on a cliffside to intercept Cuban radio transmissions.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 18, 2017

Kappe had been impressed with Dasch, and when he heard Dasch was dissatisfied with his job at the listening post less than six months later, he called him back to his office in November 1941.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple