scouting

American  

[skou-ting] / ˈskaʊ tɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of reconnoitering; reconnaissance.

2. the activities of a scout or scouts.

3. (often initial capital letter) the program of activities of the Boy Scouts or the Girl Scouts.

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scouting British  

/ ˈskaʊtɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the activities, programmes, principles, etc, of the Scout Association

   2. ( as modifier )

      the international Scouting movement

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Other Word Forms

• scoutingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of scouting

First recorded in 1635–45; scout ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Sanofi, which has been developing its own sickle-cell treatments, noticed GluBio’s work while scouting for additions to its pipeline.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

In an airport, the distance between us can stretch to many yards, usually because I’m scouting the restrooms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

"When it's really bad weather, I'm ringing around trying to see who's definitely playing, scouting around to see which non-league clubs play on an artificial pitch," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

For a long time, among those scouting in the league, she was viewed as a potential backup point guard, but her shooting ability and defensive consistency has made her a more complete prospect.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

I also knew that we needed a break: I’d started scouting for a private place where we could go to decompress for a few days in January, immediately after the new president got sworn in.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• aloof
• arrogant
• averse
• contemptuous
• derisive
• haughty
• unsympathetic