[ri-kon-uh-suh
ns, -zuhns] 
| 1. | the act of reconnoitering. |
| 2. | Military. a search made for useful military information in the field, esp. by examining the ground. |
| 3. | Surveying, Civil Engineering. a general examination or survey of a region, usually followed by a detailed survey. |
| 4. | Geology. an examination or survey of the general geological characteristics of a region. |
| re·con·nais·sance also re·con·nois·sance (rĭ-kŏn'ə-səns, -zəns) n. An inspection or exploration of an area, especially one made to gather military information. [French, from Old French reconoissance, recognition, from reconoistre, reconoiss-, to recognize; see recognize.] |