ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lookout

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɫʊˌkaʊt// UK //lˈʊkaʊt// look·out

n. a person who watches for danger or for something coming. It can also mean a high place where you can see far away.

n. a person assigned to keep watch for approaching danger or specific events; also refers to a physical vantage point used for observation.


SIMPLE

The ship's lookout spotted land on the horizon.

CONTEXTUAL

One person stayed by the door as a lookout while the others searched the room for the missing keys.

COMPLEX

From the rocky lookout at the summit, hikers can observe the entire valley stretching toward the coast, provided the morning mist has cleared sufficiently.

Synonyms
Origin

Deverbal from look out.

Usage

Commonly used in the phrase 'on the lookout for', meaning to search for or stay alert to something.

Pitfall

keep a lookout to the policekeep a lookout for the policeThe noun is paired with the preposition 'for' when identifying the object being watched for.

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