scout — OAT · Shobdo

scout

noun

1 scouts reported that the enemy were massing at two points ahead:

lookout, lookout man/woman, outrider, advance guard, vanguard, spy;

French avant-courier.

2 I returned from a lengthy scout around the area:

reconnaissance, reconnoiter;

exploration, search, expedition;

informal recce;

British, informal shufti;

North American, informal recon.

3 Brock slid the ball in from 14 yards, impressing watching scouts:

talent spotter, talent scout, recruiter;

North American, informal bird dog.

verb

1 I scouted around for some logs:

search, look, hunt, cast around, ferret (around), root around.

2 a night patrol was sent to scout out the area:

reconnoiter, explore, take a look at, make a reconnaissance of, inspect, investigate, spy out, survey, make a survey of;

examine, scan, study, observe;

see how the land lies, find out the lie of the land;

informal recce, make a recce of, check out, case, case the joint;

British, informal take a shufti round, suss out;

North American, informal recon.