scout

1 of 3

verb (1)

scouted; scouting; scouts

intransitive verb

1
: to explore an area to obtain information (as about an enemy)
2
a
: to make a search
b
: to work as a talent scout

transitive verb

1
: to observe in order to obtain information or evaluate
2
: to explore in order to obtain information
3
: to find by making a search

scout

2 of 3

noun

plural scouts
1
a
: one sent to obtain information
especially : a soldier, ship, or plane sent out in war to reconnoiter
c sports
(1)
: a person sent out to secure firsthand information about the style of play, tactics, and strength of a rival
(2)
: a person sent out to obtain information about players by watching them in action with a view to making recommendations about the acquisition of players
2
a
: the act of scouting
b
: a scouting expedition : reconnaissance
3
often capitalized : a member of any of various scouting movements: such as
a
4
: individual, person
used chiefly in the phrase good scout

scout

3 of 3

verb (2)

scouted; scouting; scouts

transitive verb

1
: mock
2
: to reject scornfully
scouted his explanation as a shabby falsehoodMark Twain

Examples of scout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Below is a scouting report and prediction of the game. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The star forward was scouted by FC Barcelona while playing for his local club Newell’s Old Boys in 1999. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 These fast-shifting dynamics have forced owners of commercial real estate to scout for ways to make their buildings more valuable as well as keep the financing afloat. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Apple is already scouting for places to test self-driving technology, including GoMentum Station, a former naval base in the Bay Area that has 20 miles of highways and city streets. Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 2 Mar. 2024 The Financial Times recently reported that Chinese carmakers including MG, BYD, and Chery have been scouting for manufacturing locations within Mexico. Steve Mollman, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024 As Barcelona scouts a new boss in the dressing room, the individual whom club president Joan Laporta dismissed soon after beginning his second tenure in 2021 is doing a great job. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Which is, initially scouted for good indoor/outdoor locations that were easily available and aesthetically inclined for an action film and began writing the story around it. Abdo Riani, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 While running her boutiques, Ms. Hickey regularly traveled to Europe as a buyer — and, effectively, as a tastemaker — scouting for dresses by designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Ursula of Switzerland and the noted British designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel. Alex Williams, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024
Noun
The location scout shot a few photos, but Carley didn’t hear from HBO until the end of 2006. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Top athletes may be loathe to sacrifice opportunities to play before professional scouts, even if doing so could lead to gains for the bargaining unit. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024 But the former Eagles and Ravens scout has 12 wide receivers — a rather large grouping — in his top-50 draft list. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 In the past, identifying promising talent relied heavily on the subjective judgment of scouts. Neil Sahota, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The annual event is a pivotal showcase for the prospects in that year's draft, with team general managers, head coaches, positional coaches and scouts all gathering in Indianapolis to get an up-close-and-personal look at the prospective NFL players. Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 The scouts also can ask and learn about the latest experiments being conducted on the 25-year-old space habitat, which is jointly operated by NASA and the space agencies of Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2024 The defense had two interceptions against scout team quarterback Chris Oladokun, who was trying to imitate 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Feb. 2024 But according to Schoen — who served as a scout for the Panthers at the time — Morgan, a future member of the College Football Hall of Fame, was as humble as an undrafted rookie during his early days with the franchise. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French escuter to listen, from Latin auscultare — more at auscultation

Verb (2)

probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skūti taunt; akin to Old English scēotan to shoot — more at shoot

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1605, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scout was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scout

Cite this Entry

“Scout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scout. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scout

1 of 3 verb
1
: to go about and observe in search of information : reconnoiter
2
a
: to make a search
scout about for firewood
b
: to find by searching
scouted up the necessary supplies

scout

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: one sent to obtain information and especially to survey in preparation for military action in war
b
: a person who searches for talented newcomers
a baseball scout
2
: the act or an instance of scouting : reconnaissance
3
often capitalized
a
4
: individual entry 2 sense 2, person
you're a good scout

scout

3 of 3 verb
1
2
: to reject as foolish
Etymology

Verb

Middle English scouten "to explore an area for information," from early French escouter "to listen," from Latin auscultare "to listen"

Verb

of Scandinavian origin

More from Merriam-Webster on scout

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