scouting

[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.
Origin
1635-45; scout1 + -ing1
Related forms
scoutingly, adverb

scout1

[skout] /skaʊt/
noun
1.
a soldier, warship, airplane, etc., employed in reconnoitering.
2.
a person sent out to obtain information.
3.
Sports.
  1. a person who observes and reports on the techniques, players, etc., of opposing teams.
  2. a person sent out by a team to observe and recommend new talent for recruitment.
4.
a talent scout, as in the entertainment field.
5.
an act or instance of reconnoitering, inspecting, observing, etc.
6.
(sometimes initial capital letter) a Boy Scout or Girl Scout.
7.
Informal. a person:
He's a good scout.
8.
a man acting as servant to a student at Oxford University.
verb (used without object)
9.
to act as a scout; reconnoiter.
10.
to make a search; hunt.
11.
to work as a talent scout.
verb (used with object)
12.
to examine, inspect, or observe for the purpose of obtaining information; reconnoiter:
to scout the enemy's defenses.
13.
to seek; search for (usually followed by out or up):
to scout up a date for Friday night.
14.
to find by seeking, searching, or looking (usually followed by out or up):
Scout out a good book for me to read.
Origin
1300-50; (v.) Middle English skowten < Old French escouter, escolter, ascolter (French écouter to listen) < Late Latin ascultāre, Latin auscultāre to listen; see auscultate; (noun) < Middle French escoute, derivative of escouter

scout2

[skout] /skaʊt/
verb (used with object)
1.
to treat with scorn; dismiss.
2.
to make fun of; deride; mock.
verb (used without object)
3.
to scoff; jeer.
Origin
1595-1605; perhaps < Old Norse skūta, skūt abuse, angry words. See shout
Examples from the web for scouting
  • His early experience as an army scout led him again to scouting.
British Dictionary definitions for scouting

scout1

/skaʊt/
noun
1.
a person, ship, or aircraft sent out to gain information
2.
(military) a person or unit despatched to reconnoitre the position of the enemy
3.
(sport) a person employed by a club to seek new players
4.
the act or an instance of scouting
5.
(esp at Oxford University) a college servant Compare gyp3
6.
(obsolete) (in Britain) a patrolman of a motoring organization
7.
(informal) a fellow or companion
verb
8.
to examine or observe (anything) in order to obtain information
9.
(transitive; sometimes foll by out or up) to seek
10.
(intransitive) to act as a scout for a sports club
11.
(intransitive; foll by about or around) to go in search (for)
Derived Forms
scouter, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Old French ascouter to listen to, from Latin auscultāre to auscultate

scout2

/skaʊt/
verb
1.
(archaic) to reject (a person or thing) with contempt
Word Origin
C17: from Old Norse skūta derision

Scout

/skaʊt/
noun
1.
(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 responsibility See also Air Scout, Girl Scout, Guide, Sea Scout, Venture Scout

Scouting

/ˈskaʊtɪŋ/
noun
1.
  1. the activities, programmes, principles, etc, of the Scout Association
  2. (as modifier): the international Scouting movement
Word Origin and History for scouting
n.

1640s, verbal noun from scout (v.1). Boy Scout sense from 1908.

scout

v.

late 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.

"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.

Idioms and Phrases with scouting

scout

see: good egg (scout)