"form into a group or groups," 1718 (transitive), 1801 (intransitive), from group (n.). Related: Grouped; grouping.

1690s, originally an art criticism term, "assemblage of figures or objects forming a harmonious whole in a painting or design," from French groupe "cluster, group" (17c.), from Italian gruppo "group, knot," which probably is, with Spanish grupo, from a Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *kruppaz "round mass, lump," part of the general group of Germanic kr- words with the sense "rounded mass" (such as crop (n.).

Extended to "any assemblage, a number of individuals related in some way" by 1736. Meaning "pop music combo" is from 1958. As it was borrowed after the Great Vowel Shift in English, the pronunciation of the -ou- follows French rather than English models.

late 14c., scouten, "observe or explore as a scout, travel in search of information," from Middle English scout-watch "sentinel, guard" (compare scout (n.)) or else Old French escouter "to listen, to heed" (Modern French écouter), from Latin auscultare "to listen to, give heed to" (see auscultate). Related: Scouted; scouting.

"to reject (something) with scorn," 1710, earlier "to mock, ridicule, treat with disdain and contempt" (c. 1600, now obsolete), of Scandinavian origin (compare Old Norse skuta, skute "to taunt"), from skotja "to shoot" (on the notion of a "shooting of words"), which according to Watkins is from a Proto-Germanic *skut- from PIE root *skeud- "to shoot, chase, throw." also source of shout (v.). Compare Middle English scoute (n.) "a wretch, rascal, rogue" (male or female), attested from late 14c. Related: Scouted; scouting; scoutingly.

"person who scouts, one sent out to gain and bring in information," 1550s, from scout (v.1). Scout-watch  (late 14c.) was an old word for "sentinel, guard." Boy Scout is from 1908, as is Scout for a shortening of it. Scout's honor in reference to Boy Scouting is attested from 1908.

"a number of people of roughly similar age," 1876, originally a term in the science of demographics, from age (n.) + group (n.).

1640s, "spying, reconnoitering," verbal noun from scout (v.1). In the sense of "the values or activities of Boy Scouts or the Boy Scout movement," from 1908.

also scout-master, 1570s, "army officer who has direction of scouts and messengers," from scout (n.) + master (n.). Boy Scouting sense of "adult leader of a troop" is from 1908.

term of contempt for a person, 1873, of unknown etymology. OED suggests it is a variant of scout (v.2).

Old English foreweard, "the fore or front part" of something, "outpost; scout;" see forward (adv.). The position in football so called since 1879.