Reconnoiter

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtə/

Definitions

1. To scout an area for the purpose of collecting information or intelligence that can aid in decision-making or strategy formulation
2. To conduct an exploratory examination of a specific location to obtain vital data for planning and operational purposes
3. To examine a region carefully to gather useful information for tactical or operational planning

Etymology: The verb "reconnoiter" descends from the Latin "recognoscere," meaning "to recognize" or "to examine again," built from "re-" (again) and "cognoscere" (to know). That sense of looking again and making out what is there is the seed of the military meaning. Through French, the word took on the sense of surveying ground ahead of an army, and the scouting sense is what English speakers chiefly use today. The spelling is a little tangled. The French form "reconnoître" was itself an older spelling of "reconnaître," the modern French word for "recognize," so the English verb tracks a French spelling that has since been reformed. Nineteenth-century British writers also used "reconnaitre," a spelling that was later dropped in favour of the form now standard.

Synonyms: survey, explore, inspect, scout, examine