lookout

See also: look-out and look out

English

Etymology

From the verb phrase look out.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlʊkaʊt/

Noun

lookout (plural lookouts)

1. A vantage point with a view of the surrounding area.
2. A session of watching for an approaching enemy, police, etc.

   We kept a lookout all night, but nobody came.

3. A person on watch for approaching enemy, police, danger, etc.

   The raid failed when the lookout noticed the enemy group.

   • 2019 December 18, Andrew Roden, “Absence of lookouts contributed to Margam deaths”, in Rail, page 20:

     A lack of lookouts was partially responsible for the deaths of two track workers at Margam East Junction in south Wales on July 3, according to an interim report published by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch on December 5. [...] "The absence of a lookout with no involvement in the work activity removed a vital safety barrier," says the report.

4. A subject for observation; a prospect or view.
   • 1913, D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, chapter 6

     Looking, seeing: search or searching; Looking-for (B.), expectation; Lookout, a careful watching for: an elevated place from which to observe: one engaged in watching. And, you know, she OUGHT to keep enough to pay for her season-ticket; but no, she comes to me about that, and I have to find the money."

     "It's a poor lookout," said Mrs. Morel bitterly.

5. One's perspective, outlook; hence, one's responsibility. (used with a possessive pronoun or a noun in a possessive form).

   Every man's interest is his own lookout.

   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, chapter 27

     "Strickland's painting in my studio."

     "Well?"

     […]

     "Strickland can't work with anyone else in the studio."

     "Damn it all, it's your studio. That's his lookout."

Synonyms

• sentry
• surveillance
• vigil
• watch

Derived terms

• on the lookout

Translations

vantage point with a view of the surrounding area

• Armenian: դիտակայան (hy) (ditakayan)
• Bulgarian: наблюда́телен пункт m (nabljudátelen punkt)
• Chechen: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Czech: pozorovatelna f, vyhlídka (cs) f, rozhledna (cs) f
• Danish: udkig, udkigspost, udkigspunkt
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: näköalapaikka (fi), tarkkailupiste
• French: poste de guet
• Galician: miradoiro (gl) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• Greek: παρατηρητήριο (el) n (paratiritírio)
• Hebrew: מִצְפֶּה (he) m (mitzpé)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: kilátó (hu), kilátóhely, megfigyelőhely, őrhely (hu)
• Latin: specula (la) f
• Maori: tūtainga, tūteinga, matairangi, taumata matira, matira
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: utkikk m

  Nynorsk: utkikk m

• Portuguese: ponto de vigia m, posto de vigia m
• Russian: наблюда́тельный пункт m (nabljudátelʹnyj punkt)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• Welsh: gwylfa f, gwylfeydd f pl

a session of watching for an approaching enemy, police, etc.

• Hungarian: őrködés
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

person on watch for approaching enemy, police, etc.

• Arabic: (e.g. on a ship) نَاطُور m (nāṭūr)
• Armenian: պահակ (hy) (pahak)
• Chechen: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Czech: hlídka (cs) f, pozorovatel (cs) m
• Danish: udkig, udkigsmand, vagtpost
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: vartiomies (fi), tähystäjä (fi)
• French: sentinelle (fr) f, guetteur (fr) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• Greek: παρατηρητής (el) m (paratiritís)

  Ancient: σκοπός m (skopós)

• Hebrew: צוֹפֶה (he) m (tsofeh)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: őrszem (hu)
• Latin: prōvīsor m
• Maori: matira
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norman: dgetteux
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: utkikk m

  Nynorsk: utkikk m

• Portuguese: vigia (pt) m or f, sentinela (pt) m or f
• Russian: дозо́рный (ru) m (dozórnyj), наблюда́тель (ru) m (nabljudátelʹ), ва́хта (ru) f (váxta) (watch)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Tibetan: གཡུལ་བསྲུང (g.yul bsrung), བྱ་ར་བ (bya ra ba), སོ་པ (so pa)
• Turkish: gözcü (tr)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

subject for observation

• Finnish: näköala (fi), näkymä (fi)
• Hungarian: kilátás (hu), távlat (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: забо́та (ru) f (zabóta), де́ло (ru) n (délo)

perspective, outlook, responsibility

• Finnish: asia (fi), ongelma (fi), murhe (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: feladat (hu), gond (hu), baj (hu)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: ^{(please verify)} Ausguck (de) m
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} stražara (sh), ^{(please verify)} stražarnica (sh)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} vigía (es) m

Further reading

• “lookout”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “lookout”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• outlook