- 1the Scouts [plural] an organization (officially called the Scout Association) originally for boys, which trains young people in practical skills and does a lot of activities with them, for example camping to join the Scouts Culture The Scout Association was formed in Britain in 1908 by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. It organizes outdoor activities for boys, e.g. camping, and aims to teach them practical skills, discipline and social responsibility. Members wear uniforms, and their motto (= phrase expressing an aim or a belief) is 'Be prepared'. The four main groups are Beaver Scouts (for ages 6-8), Cub Scouts (8-10½), Scouts (10½-15½) and Venture Scouts (15½-20). Girls were admitted to the Scouts for the first time in Britain in 1990. compare Girl Guide
- 2(British English) a boy or girl who is a member of the Scouts Both my brothers were scouts. a scout troop see also Boy Scout, Guide compare brownie
- 3a person, an aircraft, etc. sent ahead to get information about the enemy’s position, strength, etc. Wordfinderexplorecolonize, discover, explore, pioneer, reconnaissance, scout, settle, terrain, territory, voyage
- 4= talent scout Word Originlate Middle English (as a verb): from Old French escouter ‘listen’, earlier ascolter, from Latin auscultare.Extra examples I learned how to tie knots in the scouts. My brother is in the scouts. Some tropical bees send out scouts to find new sources of food. The commander sent out a scout to see if the road was clear.
Check pronunciation: scout
