reconnoitre
2 synonyms for reconnoitre, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To explore an area, often enemy territory, in order to gather information.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
reconnoiter
Etymology
Came from French reconnoître, an obsolete spelling of reconnaître, which came from Latin recognoscere (“to recognise”). There was also an obsolete 19th-century British English spelling, reconnaitre, influenced by the modern French form.
Full origin of reconnoitre →