the act of looking out or keeping watch.
a watch kept, as for something that may happen.
a person or group keeping a watch.
a station or place from which a watch is kept.
an object of care or concern.
That's not my lookout.
Chiefly British. view; prospect; outlook.
The business lookout is far from optimistic.
the act of keeping watch against danger, etc
a person or persons instructed or employed to keep such a watch, esp on a ship
a strategic point from which a watch is kept
informal worry or concern
that's his lookout
outlook, chances, or view
to heed one's behaviour; be careful
look out for the children's health
to be on the watch
look out for my mother at the station
(tr) to search for and find
I'll look out some curtains for your new house
to face in a particular direction
the house looks out over the moor
First recorded in 1690–1700; noun use of verb phrase look out
The neighborhood kids might use a tree house as a lookout, from which they can keep an eye out for the local bully. A lookout is usually so high that a person can see for a long distance in many directions when she stands on or in it. Armies sometimes use lookouts to scout for approaching troops, and navy ships include a lookout at the top of a tall mast, also called a "crow's nest." Lookout can also be spelled as a hyphenated word, "look-out," and used as well to refer to the person whose job it is to stay in the lookout and keep watch.
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In one corner, you can spot the Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios, and the San Gabriel Mountains surround its lookout.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
In the future, she is hopeful for more projects like this one and says they are on the lookout for some more land.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
He’s always on the lookout for situations wherein a government or a central bank makes a mistake that can be exploited.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
Just be on the lookout in case your device or browser needs your permission to update and reboot.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
Leonard was always on the lookout for the “surveillance drones” he claimed flew nightly missions over Brooklyn.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
