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

Jesse was the team’s assistant general manager and director of scouting.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

In the British Basketball League of the late 1990s, scouting rival teams wasn’t as simple as pulling up game film on an iPad.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

One position will focus on pro scouting, draft scouting and player development while the other will specialize in analytics, data and the salary cap.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Cohen had told the Journal in January that he was scouting out big acquisition targets.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 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