reconnoitre
/ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtɚ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.84 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To perform a reconnaissance (of an area; an enemy position); to scout with the aim of gaining information.
Intransitive verb; Transitive verb
noun
An act or instance of reconnoitring.
Example Sentences
- "Our scout will reconnoitre the path ahead of our troops."
- "Not a drop of rain fell; the clouds went portentously off, like ships of war after reconnoitering a strong fort, to return with added strength and fury."
- ""Damn!" said Tommy, and tried to sit up. He had remembered. He was in that sinister house in Soho. He uttered a groan and fell back. Through his almost-closed lids he reconnoitred carefully."
- "As to my person, it will not be so easy to reconnoitre it, for I question whether any of it will remain"
- "The pilot reported the findings of his reconnoitre."
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.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtɚ/
- British English: /ˌɹɛkəˈnɔɪtə/