reconnoitre
UK /ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtə/ · US /ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtɚ/ verb, noun
Also a form of reconnoiter
Forms reconnoitres reconnoitring reconnoitred reconnoiter reconnaitre
- verb (transitive, intransitive, military) To perform a reconnaissance (of an area; an enemy position); to scout with the aim of gaining information. “Our scout will reconnoitre the path ahead of our troops.”
- verb (obsolete) To recognise.
- noun An act or instance of reconnoitring. “The pilot reported the findings of his reconnoitre.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From French reconnoître (obsolete spelling of reconnaître), from Latin recognoscere (“to recognise”). There is also an obsolete 19th-century British English spelling reconnaitre, influenced by the modern French form.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To examine with the eye to make a preliminary examination or survey of; esp., to survey with a view to military or engineering operations.
- verb To recognize. [Obs.] Sir H. Walpole.
Etymology [F. reconnoitre, a former spelling of reconnaître. See Recognize.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “reconnoitre”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details