[vi-det] 
| 1. | Also called vedette boat. a small naval launch used for scouting. |
| 2. | a mounted sentry in advance of the outposts of an army. |
| ve·dette also vi·dette (vĭ-dět') n.
[French, from Italian vedetta, alteration (influenced by vedere, to see) of veletta, probably from Spanish vela, watch, from velar, to watch, from Latin vigilāre, to watch through the night, from vigil, awake; see weg- in Indo-European roots.] |
