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.

verb

1. (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.
2. (obsolete) To recognise.
   As to my person, it will not be so easy to reconnoitre it, for I question whether any of it will remain 1765, Horace Walpole, The Correspondence of Horace Walpole, with George Montagu, Esq

noun

1. An act or instance of reconnoitring.
   The pilot reported the findings of his reconnoitre.