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scout

¹

[skout]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR scout ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a soldier, warship, airplane, etc., employed in reconnoitering.

a person sent out to obtain information.

Sports.

a person who observes and reports on the techniques, players, etc., of opposing teams.
a person sent out by a team to observe and recommend new talent for recruitment.

a talent scout, as in the entertainment field.

an act or instance of reconnoitering, inspecting, observing, etc.

(sometimes initial capital letter) a Boy Scout or Girl Scout.

Informal. a person: He's a good scout.

a man acting as servant to a student at Oxford University.

verb (used without object)

to act as a scout; reconnoiter.

to make a search; hunt.

to work as a talent scout.

verb (used with object)

to examine, inspect, or observe for the purpose of obtaining information; reconnoiter: to scout the enemy's defenses.

to seek; search for (usually followed by out or up): to scout up a date for Friday night.

to find by seeking, searching, or looking (usually followed by out or up): Scout out a good book for me to read.

Origin of scout

¹

1300–50; (v.) Middle English skowten < Old French escouter, escolter, ascolter (French écouter to listen) < Late Latin ascultāre, Latin auscultāre to listen; see auscultate; (noun) < Middle French escoute, derivative of escouter

scout

²

[skout]

verb (used with object)

to treat with scorn; dismiss.

to make fun of; deride; mock.

verb (used without object)

to scoff; jeer.

Origin of scout

²

1595–1605; perhaps < Old Norse skūta, skūt abuse, angry words. See shout

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for scout

detective, recruiter, explore, inspect, examine, lookout, sleuth, patrol, escort, picket, spy, runner, adventurer, vanguard, outpost, pioneer, guard, advance, precursor, explorer

Examples from the Web for scout

Contemporary Examples of scout

The brokers then scout out potential “crew members” who can earn substantial discounts for working the journey.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean
Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 6, 2015
From there, he led groups of Kansa and Osage to scout for Spanish garrisons.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History
Katie Baker
October 24, 2014
The next year he sat in the living room and listened again while Fred Pinckney, the Detroit scout, talked.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse
W.C. Heinz
May 31, 2014
“I saw one game last year when this kid touched the ball about twice in the entire second half,” says one NBA scout.
Shaq, Year One
Charles P. Pierce
May 24, 2014
According to the Save Our Scout Camps website, the lawsuit remains active.
Why Are Girl Scout Camps Being Closed?
Alessandra Rafferty
January 12, 2014

Historical Examples of scout

"This must be looked to," said the scout, glancing about him with an anxious eye.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
The warning call of the scout was not uttered without occasion.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
On the other hand, the quick, roving eye of the scout seldom rested.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
"Ah, reason and calculation are often outdone by accident," returned the scout.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
Heyward saw, by the manner of the scout, that altercation would be useless.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for scout

scout

¹

noun

a person, ship, or aircraft sent out to gain information

military a person or unit despatched to reconnoitre the position of the enemy

sport a person employed by a club to seek new players

the act or an instance of scouting

(esp at Oxford University) a college servantCompare gyp 3

obsolete (in Britain) a patrolman of a motoring organization

informal a fellow or companion

verb

to examine or observe (anything) in order to obtain information

(tr; sometimes foll by out or up) to seek

(intr) to act as a scout for a sports club

(intr; foll by about or around) to go in search (for)

Derived Formsscouter, noun

Word Origin for scout

C14: from Old French ascouter to listen to, from Latin auscultāre to auscultate

scout

²

verb

archaic to reject (a person or thing) with contempt

Word Origin for scout

C17: from Old Norse skūta derision

Scout

noun

(sometimes not capital) a boy or (in some countries) a girl who is a member of a worldwide movement (the Scout Association) founded as the Boy Scouts in England in 1908 by Lord Baden-Powell with the aim of developing character and responsibilitySee also Air Scout, Girl Scout, Guide, Sea Scout, Venture Scout

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for scout

v.1

late 14c., "observe or explore as a scout, travel in search of information," from Old French escouter "to listen, heed" (Modern French écouter), from Latin auscultare "to listen to, give heed to" (see auscultate). Related: Scouted; scouting.

v.2

"to reject with scorn," 1710, earlier "to mock" (c.1600), of Scandinavian origin (cf. Old Norse skuta, skute "to taunt"), probably from a source related to shout (v.). Related: Scouted; scouting; scoutingly.

n.

"person who scouts, one sent out to gain information," 1550s, from scout (v.1). Boy Scout is from 1908. Scout's honor attested from 1908.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with scout

scout

see good egg (scout).

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.