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scoutmaster

American  
[skaut-mas-ter, -mah-ster] / ˈskaʊtˌmæs tər, -ˌmɑ stər /

noun

  1. the leader or officer in charge of a band of scouts.

  2. the adult leader of a troop of Boy Scouts.


scoutmaster British  
/ ˈskaʊtˌmɑːstə /

noun

  1. a former name for Scout Leader

"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

Etymology

Origin of scoutmaster

First recorded in 1570–80; scout 1 + master


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Downing’s abilities would catch Oliver Cromwell’s attention, leading to his appointment as scoutmaster general—the head of Parliament’s intelligence operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

He and Orin Rowe, the troop’s assistant scoutmaster, stayed behind to make a plan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2025

“Girls were like: ‘You can join Boy Scouts of America?’” said Chipman, now a 20-year-old college student and assistant scoutmaster of her troop.

From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024

Ben Burns has been the scoutmaster of a troop of disabled scouts in Dallas since 2010.

From New York Times ● Mar. 24, 2023

The scoutmaster had given them a long lecture about disrupting nature—by the end of it, Jonah felt guilty about how many protozoans he’d probably killed.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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