noun
- an act or instance of reconnoitering; reconnaissance.
- the activities of a scout or scouts.
- (often initial capital letter) the program of activities of the Boy Scouts or the Girl Scouts.
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.
verb (used with object)
- to treat with scorn; dismiss.
- to make fun of; deride; mock.
verb (used without object)
- to scoff; jeer.
noun
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- the activities, programmes, principles, etc, of the Scout Association
- (as modifier)the international Scouting movement
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
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)
verb
- archaic to reject (a person or thing) with contempt
n.1640s, verbal noun from scout (v.1). Boy Scout sense from 1908. v.1late 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. see good egg (scout).