Reconnaissance, sometimes called scouting, is the act of exploring to gain military information. Often referred to as "recce" (UK, Canada and Australia, ) or "recon" (U.S., ), the associated formal verb is "reconnoitre" (British spelling) or "reconnoiter" (American spelling). In informal English, both "recce" and "recon" are often also used as a verb. The term is sometimes used in non military contexts.