Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To reject with disdain or derision.
  • intransitive verb To spy on or explore carefully in order to obtain information; reconnoiter.
  • intransitive verb To observe and evaluate (a talented person), as for possible hiring.
  • intransitive verb To search as a scout.
  • intransitive verb To search for talented people.
  • noun One that is dispatched from a main body to gather information, especially in preparation for military action.
  • noun The act of reconnoitering.
  • noun A watcher or sentinel.
  • noun One who is employed to discover and recruit talented persons, especially in the fields of sports and entertainment.
  • noun Sports One who is employed to observe and report on the strategies and players of rival teams.
  • noun A member of the Boy Scouts.
  • noun A member of the Girl Scouts.
  • noun Informal An individual; a person.
  • noun Chiefly British A student's male servant at Oxford University.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To observe or explore as a scout; watch the movements of an enemy.
  • To watch closely; observe the actions of; spy out.
  • To range over for the purpose of discovery.
  • noun A person sent out to gain and bring in information; specifically, one employed to observe the motions and obtain intelligence of the numbers of an enemy.
  • noun A scouting party.
  • noun A spy; a sneak.
  • noun A college servant or waiter.
  • noun In cricket, a fielder.
  • noun The act of looking out or watching; lookout; watch.
  • noun One of various birds of the auk family (Alcidæ) which are common on the British islands, as the razor-billed auk, the common or foolish guillemot, and the puffin or sea-parrot.
  • noun In the Netherlands, a bailiff or magistrate. See schout.
  • To ridicule; sneer at; treat with disdain. and contempt; reject with scorn: as, to scout a proposal.
  • noun A high rock.
  • To pour forth a liquid forcibly; eject liquid excrement.
  • noun A swift Dutch sailing boat.
  • noun The guillemot.
  • noun Naval, a vessel employed in obtaining information concerning the positions and numbers of the enemy's fleet. See also scout cruiser.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Prov. Eng. A projecting rock.
  • transitive verb To reject with contempt, as something absurd; to treat with ridicule; to flout.
  • noun obsolete A swift sailing boat.
  • intransitive verb To go on the business of scouting, or watching the motions of an enemy; to act as a scout.
  • noun A person sent out to gain and bring in tidings; especially, one employed in war to gain information of the movements and condition of an enemy.
  • noun Cant A college student's or undergraduate's servant; -- so called in Oxford, England; at Cambridge called a gyp; and at Dublin, a skip.
  • noun (Cricket) A fielder in a game for practice.
  • noun colloq. The act of scouting or reconnoitering.
  • noun A boy scout or girl scout (which see, above).
  • transitive verb To observe, watch, or look for, as a scout; to follow for the purpose of observation, as a scout.
  • transitive verb To pass over or through, as a scout; to reconnoiter.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun archaic A projecting rock.
  • noun A person sent out to gain and bring in tidings; especially, one employed in war to gain information about the enemy and ground.
  • noun An act of scouting or reconnoitering.
  • noun 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.
  • noun A person who assesses and/or recruits others; especially, one who identifies promising talent on behalf of a sports team.
  • noun UK A college student's or undergraduate's servant; -- so called in Oxford, England; at Cambridge called a gyp; and at Dublin, a skip.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Of Scandinavian origin; see skeud- in Indo-European roots.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Middle English scoute, act of watching or spying, from Old French escoute, from escouter, to listen, alteration of ascouter, from Vulgar Latin *ascultāre, alteration of Latin auscultāre; see ous- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old French escouter ("to listen, heed"), from Latin auscultare ("to listen").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Of Scandinavian origin: compare Old Norse skūti, skūta = "taunt"; thus may be related to "shout".

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Examples

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  • Tonto. See A Horse is a Horse

    February 1, 2008

  • Is a scout a 'shooter of words' in the metaphorest? (see entry from IE roots below)

    skeud-
    To shoot, chase, throw.
    Derivatives include shoot, shut, and scuttle.1

    shoot, from Old English scēotan, to shoot, from Germanic *skeutan, to shoot.
    shot1, from Old English sceot, scot, shooting, a shot;
    schuss, from Old High German scuz, shooting, a shot;
    scot, scot and lot, from Old Norse skot and Old French escot, contribution, tax (< "money thrown down");
    wainscot, from Middle Dutch sc(h)ot, crossbar, wooden partition. a-d all from Germanic *skutaz, shooting, shot.
    shut, from Old English scyttan, to shut (by pushing a crossbar), probably from Germanic *skutjan.
    shuttle, from Old English scytel, a dart, missile, from Germanic *skutilaz.
    sheet2, from Old English scēata, corner of a sail;
    sheet1, from Old English scēte, piece of cloth. Both a and b from Germanic *skautjōn‑.
    scout2, from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse skūta, mockery (< "shooting of words");
    shout, from Old Norse skūta, a taunt. Both a and b from Germanic *skut‑.

    Pokorny 2. (s)keud‑ 955.

    - <i>American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots</i>

    February 29, 2016