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The French military term vedette (formed from Latin videre, to see), also spelled vidette, migrated into English and other languages to refer to a mounted sentry or picket, who has the function of bringing information, giving signals or warnings of danger, etc., to a main body of troops. In modern terms, the soldiers who man listening-posts are the equivalent of vedettes.
All around Salisbury Plain in southern England, the roads connecting the plain with the surrounding countryside feature brick-built guard-posts, manned by security officers whenever there is military activity beyond such points. They are known as vedettes, and each one is named for a local geographic feature.
The Gardjola is a prominent guard tower on Maltese forts in Malta and an example of a vedette. It may be referred to in French as an échauguette.
Navies use the term vedette to refer to a small scouting or patrol boat.
The term has also been used for specific naval vessels (see USS Vedette), and a class of flying boat (see Canadian Vickers Vedette).