Definition of "outpost" []

• A detachment of troops stationed at a distance from a main force to guard against surprise attacks. (noun)
• The station occupied by such troops. (noun)
• A usually small military base established in another country. (noun)
• An outlying settlement. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Upon receipt of the _halt order_ from the commander of the main column, the outpost commander issues the _outpost order_ with the least practicable delay."
• "Finally, I would say that the outpost is a technical prerequisite for a Mars flight."
• "I've never heard any really compelling justification as to why a lunar outpost is a more cost effective means of developing the technology needed to go to Mars."