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

Notable: Thompson ran one of the quickest 40-yard dashes the NFL scouting combine at 4.26 seconds, with a 10-yard split time of 1.54.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

“Right now I’m unemployed. I have no job,” he said at the scouting combine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Hortiz said Mesidor’s standout play in the postseason with Miami coupled with how he impressed them at the NFL scouting combine ultimately played big factors in their decision to draft him.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Keenan, who has been tending to her streets for several years, has been paying Phillips $100 for Wednesday scouting forays and another $100 to fill four or five huge bags on Saturday trash patrol.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

“Would you mind scouting around outside? Like, look for a wilderness convenience store or something?”

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

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