reconnoiter

[ ree-kuh-noi-ter, rek-uh- ]

/ ˌri kəˈnɔɪ tər, ˌrɛk ə- /

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verb (used with object)

to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes.

to examine or survey (a region, area, etc.) for engineering, geological, or other purposes.

verb (used without object)

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Origin of reconnoiter

1700–10; <French reconnoître (now obsolete) to explore, Middle French reconoistre.See recognize

re·con·noi·ter·er, nounun·re·con·noi·tered, adjective

Every spacecraft that ever visited the moon, landed on Mars, buzzed by Jupiter, orbited Saturn, or reconnoitered Pluto would be a decidedly unidentified flying object to any alien intelligence that might encounter it.
America’s Best Astrophysicists Are Taking UFOs Seriously. Maybe You Should Too|Jeffrey Kluger|June 10, 2022|Time
They sighted the port of Cavite in order to reconnoiter the strength of the fleet stationed there.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
At daybreak, Havelock sent Colonel Tytler, with the eighteen volunteer horse, to reconnoiter.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Pressing on a few hundred yards to reconnoiter the Pomeroy road, we suddenly encountered the enemy.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various

Some of the warriors proposed riding back to the ridge with Painted Weasel to reconnoiter.
Three Sioux Scouts|Elmer Russell Gregor
Darkness had already fallen, and White Otter determined to reconnoiter the plain before the first war party left the ravine.
Three Sioux Scouts|Elmer Russell Gregor