scout

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /skaʊt/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): [skʌʊt]
• (General Australian)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊt
• Homophone: Scout

Etymology 1

From Middle English scout, scoult, from Old French escoute (“action of listening”), verbal noun from escouter (“to listen, heed”), from Latin auscultare (“to listen”). The verb comes from the noun.^[1]

Noun

scout (plural scouts)

1. A person sent out to gain and bring in tidings; especially, one employed in war to gain information about the enemy and ground.

   Synonyms: (obsolete) espial, (obsolete) espy

   • Tiding definition

     news; new information

   • Espial definition

     An act of noticing or observing. (1 of 3 espial definitions)

   • Espy definition

     1. To find out or observe (someone or something, especially if not easy to see) by spying or looking; to catch sight of; to see; to spot. (1 of 7 espy definitions)
2. An act of scouting or reconnoitering.
   • 1782, William Cowper, “The Cricket”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], OCLC 1029672464:

     while the rat is on the scout

   • Reconnoiter definition

     To perform a reconnaissance (of an area; an enemy position); to scout with the aim of acquiring information.
3. A member of any number of youth organizations belonging to the international scout movement, such as the Boy Scouts of America or Girl Scouts of the United States.
4. A person who assesses and/or recruits others; especially, one who identifies promising talent on behalf of a sports team.
   • 2018 January 1, Donald McRae, “The Guardian footballer of the year 2017: Juan Mata”, in the Guardian‎^[1]:

     We have met twice this year and, during our first interview, Mata spoke evocatively when remembering how, having joined Real Oviedo aged 10 in 1998, he was given a previously unimaginable opportunity. Mata sat in a car park in 2003, when he was 14, and watched his father talking to a Real Madrid scout.

5. A person employed to monitor rivals' activities in the petroleum industry.

   • Petroleum definition

     A flammable liquid ranging in color from clear to very dark brown and black, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring naturally in deposits under the Earth's surface.

   • Industry definition

     The tendency to work persistently. Diligence. (1 of 6 industry definitions)
6. (Oxford University, modern) A housekeeper or domestic cleaner, generally female, employed by one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University to clean rooms; generally equivalent to a modern bedder at Cambridge University.

   • Housekeeper definition

     Someone who owns a house as a place of residence; a householder. (1 of 4 housekeeper definitions)

   • Domestic definition

     Of or relating to the home. (1 of 5 domestic definitions)

   • Cleaner definition

     A person whose occupation is to clean floors, windows and other things. (1 of 5 cleaner definitions)

   • Constituent definition

     being a part, or component of a whole (1 of 2 constituent definitions)

   • College definition

     A corporate group; a group of colleagues. (1 of 17 college definitions)

   • Bedder definition

     Agent noun of bed; one who beds. (1 of 3 bedder definitions)
7. (Oxford University, Harvard University, Yale University, historical) A domestic servant, generally male, who would attend (usually several) students in a variety of ways, including cleaning; generally equivalent to a gyp at Cambridge University or a skip at Trinity College, Dublin.
   • 1859–1861, [Thomas Hughes], chapter I, in Tom Brown at Oxford: […], (please specify |part=1 or 2), Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, published 1861, OCLC 2753050:

     He has also been good enough to recommend to me many tradesmen who are ready to supply these articles in any quantities; each of whom has been here already a dozen times, cap in hand, and vowing that it is quite immaterial when I pay—which is very kind of them; but, with the highest respect for friend Perkins (my scout) and his obliging friends, I shall make some enquiries before "letting in" with any of them.

   • Servant definition

     One who is hired to perform regular household or other duties, and receives compensation. As opposed to a slave. (1 of 5 servant definitions)

   • Gyp definition

     A cheat or swindle; a rip-off. (1 of 2 gyp definitions)

   • Skip definition

     To move by hopping on alternate feet. (1 of 12 skip definitions)

   • Let In definition

     To let someone or something come in; to admit someone or something in. (1 of 3 let in definitions)
8. (UK, cricket) A fielder in a game for practice.

   • Cricket definition

     (1 of 5 cricket definitions)

   • Fielder definition

     A player of the fielding side, whose task is to gather the ball after the batsman has hit it, to catch the batsman out, or to prevent him from scoring. (1 of 4 fielder definitions)
9. (historical, UK, up until 1920s) A fighter aircraft.

   • Fighter definition

     A person who fights; a combatant. (1 of 8 fighter definitions)

   • Aircraft definition

     A vehicle capable of atmospheric flight due to interaction with the air, such as buoyancy or lift
10. (radiography) A preliminary image that allows the technician to make adjustments before the actual diagnostic images.
    • 2012, Ella A. Kazerooni, ‎Baskaran Sundaram, Imaging of Lung Cancer, page 937:

      A scout topogram is initially performed during continuous table motion, generating an anatomic overview image similar to a conventional radiograph at the locked projection.

    • 2016, John L. Cameron, ‎Andrew M. Cameron, Current Surgical Therapy, page 721:

      It consisted of injecting an iodinated contrast agent while a breast was compressed in one projection after a scout film, taking several sequential films, and subtracting them from the scout film.

    • 2018, Savvas Nicolaou, ‎Mohammed F. Mohammed, Multi-Energy CT: The New Frontier in Imaging, page 643:

      Because of this FOV limitation, several institutions use a weight cutoff or a scout radiograph lateral diameter cutoff, though the exact cutoff threshold varies from institution to institution.

    • Preliminary definition

      In preparation for the main matter; initial, introductory, preparatory.

    • Adjustment definition

      The action of adjusting something (1 of 5 adjustment definitions)

    • Diagnostic definition

      Of, or relating to diagnosis. (1 of 3 diagnostic definitions)
11. (informal) Term of address for a man or boy.
    • 1983, Robley Wilson, Dancing for Men, page 124:

      "Listen, old scout," Mr. Osborn said solemnly, "you think New York is heartless, but that's not what it is."

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

scout (third-person singular simple present scouts, present participle scouting, simple past and past participle scouted)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To explore a wide terrain, as if on a search; to reconnoiter.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:

     An hundred horeſmen of my companie
     Scowting abroad vpon theſe champion plaines,
     Haue view’d the army of the Scythians,
     Which make report it far exceeds the Kings.

2. (transitive) To observe, watch, or look for, as a scout; to follow for the purpose of observation, as a scout.
   • c. 1613 (first performance)​, John Fletcher, “The Tragedie of Bonduca”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, OCLC 3083972, Act V, scene ii:

     Take more men, and scout him round.

Derived terms

• scout about
• scout around
• scout out
• scout round
• scout up

Translations

Etymology 2

Of North Germanic origin. Compare Old Norse skúta, skúti (“taunt”), Middle English scoute (“a wretch, rascal, rogue”); thus may be related to English shout.

Verb

scout (third-person singular simple present scouts, present participle scouting, simple past and past participle scouted)

1. (transitive) To reject with contempt.

   to scout an idea or an apology

   • 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene ii]:

     Flout 'em and scout 'em; and scout 'em and flout 'em: / Thought is free.

   • 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, OCLC 558196156:

     I don't think I had any definite idea where Dora came from, or in what degree she was related to a higher order of beings; but I am quite sure I should have scouted the notion of her being simply human, like any other young lady, with indignation and contempt.

2. (intransitive) To scoff.
   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 45, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, OCLC 57395299:

     So ignorant are most landsmen of some of the plainest and most palpable wonders of the world, that without some hints touching the plain facts, historical and otherwise, of the fishery, they might scout at Moby Dick as a monstrous fable, or still worse and more detestable, a hideous and intolerable allegory.

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English scoute, skoute (also schoute, shoute, schuyt), from Middle Low German schûte or Middle Dutch schute; or possibly from Old Norse skúta (“a small craft or cutter”).

Noun

scout (plural scouts)

1. (dated) A swift sailing boat.
   • 1660, Samuel Pepys, diary entry 18th May 1660

     So we took a scout, very much pleased with the manner and conversation of the passengers.

   • Sail definition

     A piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged such that it causes the wind to drive the boat along. The sail may be attached to the boat via a combination of mast, spars and ropes. (1 of 12 sail definitions)

Etymology 4

Verb

scout (third-person singular simple present scouts, present participle scouting, simple past and past participle scouted)

1. (Scotland) To pour forth a liquid forcibly, especially excrement.

Noun

scout (plural scouts)

1. The guillemot.

   • Guillemot definition

     Any seabird belonging to the genera Uria and Cepphus of the auk family Alcidae. They have black and white bodies and are good at swimming and diving.

See also

• Scout (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Scout in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

References

Further reading

• scout in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• scout in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• scout at OneLook Dictionary Search.

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English scout.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skɑu̯t/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: scout
• Rhymes: -ɑu̯t

Noun

scout m (plural scouts)

1. A scout, a boy scout or girl scout.

   Synonym: padvinder

   • Boy Scout definition

     A male member of the Scout Movement. (1 of 2 boy scout definitions)

   • Girl Scout definition

     Alternative form of Girl Scout

   • Padvinder definition

     a boy scout; a member of the scout movement.
2. (sports) A talent scout.

   • Sports definition

     plural of sport

   • Talent definition

     A marked natural ability or skill. (1 of 5 talent definitions)

Related terms

• scouting

French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

scout m (plural scouts)

1. scout, boy scout

Derived terms

• parole de scout

Further reading

• “scout”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology

Clipping of boyscout.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskawt/
• Rhymes: -awt

Noun

scout m or f (invariable)

1. scout (a member of the international scout movement)

   Synonym: esploratore

   • Esploratore definition

     explorer (1 of 3 esploratore definitions)

Related terms

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English scout.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /esˈkaut/, [esˈkau̯t̪]

Noun

scout m or f (plural scouts)

1. scout

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Swedish

Noun

scout c

1. scout; a member of the international scout movement.

Declension