Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(a) a bawd, a pimp; one who obtains clients for a prostitute; thus as v. to search out clients.

1579		E. Hake Newes Out of Powles Churchyarde F8: How many brothell Bawdes within the towne doe dwell? How many filthy scudding scowtes, besturre their crooked stumpes?
1624		Massinger Renegado III iii: Whom doe you thinke she made her scout, nay baude, To finde him out, but me?
1683		Whores Rhetorick 71: When a young Woman is often seen in company of any known she-Scout, everybody will conclude her business is great, her designs general, and that she intends to prove a latitudinarian in Love.
1691		W. Mountfort Greenwich-Park V ii: I suppose the Spark was come, for one of her Scouts came and whisper’d her, it was a hearty well wisher to St. Valentines Day, for she coupled us as lovingly and as securely as if she had been to have had me her self.
1833		‘Will You Come To My Crib?’ in Funny Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 42: Since your heart would cry out, ‘Och! Judy, don’t scout’.

(b) (also scoot) a bold, forward young woman.

1720		W.P. Jamaica Lady in McBurney Four Before Richardson (1963) 111: Have you been caterwauling too? If you must have a scout, stay till you come to England. Go to hell in the common road and be damned.
1825		Jamieson Etym. Dict. Scot. Lang. Supplement 349: Scout, a term of the greatest contumely, applied to a woman; an equivalent to trull, or camp-trull.
1910		P.W. Joyce Eng. as We Speak It in Ireland (1979) 317: Scout; a reproachful name for a bold, forward girl.
1949		R. Park Poor Man’s Orange 25: ‘I can jest see me bloomers on the line alongside Lick Jimmy’s flourbag underpants.’ ‘Go on, yer scout!’ Mumma blushed as she waddled indoors.
1997		Share Slanguage.

(c) a mean person.

1748

Smollett Roderick Random (1979) 73: I’ll beg for you, steal for you, go through the wide world with you, and starve with you, for though I be a poor cobbler’s son, I am no scout.

(d) (Irish) a disreputable person.

1841

‘Petticoat Government’ Dublin Comic Songster 169: But my wife comes and orders me out, / She says [...] Recollect now you scandalous scout, / You are now under petticoat government.

(e) (W.I. Rasta) a person of inferior status.

2004

‘Patois Dict.’ www.dancehallareaz.com 🌐.

(a) a member of the watch [orig. milit. use].

1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn).
1688		T. Shadwell Squire of Alsatia II i: Here’s a Scout: What’s a Clock?
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 187: Many times, they have their Scout or Intelligencer in the Towns or Villages thro’ which they are to pass.
1753		J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 14: In the mean Time the Scout came by, i.e., the Watch.
1789		G. Parker Life’s Painter 136: Aye, do, why should you be dubber-mum’d? there’s no hornies, traps, scouts, nor beak-runners amongst them.
1799		‘Cant Lang. of Thieves’ Monthly Mag. 7 Jan.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1821		Egan Life in London (1869) 267: When turning the corner of Old Bedlam, / A scout laid me flat upon my face.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.

(b) a pocket watch [a pun on sense 2a].

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Loge c. a Watch. I suppose from the French Horloge, a Clock or Watch. Filed a Cly of a Loge, or Scout, c. Pickt a Pocket or a Watch. Biting a Loge, or Scout, c. the same.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) II [as cit. c.1698].
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1729		Life of Thomas Neaves 34: They robb’d the Man of his Scout, his Lob, and his Cole, that is his Watch, Snuff-Box, and about seven Pounds in Gold and Silver.
1738		Ordinary of Newgate Accounts 8 Nov. 🌐 He told Dr. Fluellin, he had seen a Tale, (a Sword) a Scout, (a Watch) a Calm and Shade, (a Hat and Wig) a Brace of Wedges, (Silver Buckles) and an outside Toge, (a Cloak).
1761		Ordinary of Newgate Account 10 Oct. 🌐 I formerly agreed with † Ruggety Madge, to go upon *biting the Culls of their Scouts when they were bung [...] *Robbing Persons whom they pick up of their Watches.
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions .
1821		D. Haggart Autobiog. 20: We observed a conish cove, who sported an elegant dross-scout, drag, and chats. [Ibid.] 62: She gave us six quids for the scout.
1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue 45: Wedge scouts – Silver watches. Dross scouts – Gold ditto.

(c) (Aus. Und.) a lookout for a criminal gang.

1936

Newcastle Sun (NSW) 27 May 7/4: S.P. Glossary [...] Cockatoo, scout or spotter — One who keeps watch and gives the alarm.