reconnoiter \ree-kuh-NOI-ter\,
verb:
1. To make an inspection or observation.
2. To inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes.
3. To examine or survey a region or area for engineering, geological, or other purposes.
It was necessary to reconnoiter the corral, in order to ascertain if it was occupied.
-- Jules Verne, "The Mysterious Island"
I must ride up on that mountain, and reconnoiter; otherwise you see they might come down from the mountain.
-- Leo Tolstoy, "A Russian Proprietor and Other Stories"
Reconnoiter comes from the French word reconnoître meaning "to explore."
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