A Scout vessel, or scout starship, was a starship used either for commercial and scientific exploration, or for military intelligence gathering and reconnaissance.
Civilian scouts piloted a wide variety of vessels. Some flew ordinary light freighters, while others flew specialized ships designed for reliability, increased sensor ranges, and long trips. Scouts working for large corporations or governments often had new ships with the latest technology, while independent scouts often flew ships which were decades, or even centuries, old.
Military scout vessels were, unsurprisingly, more heavily armed than civilian models. Of course, some civilian scout vessels were military surplus, and some civilian scout vessels were used for military purposes. Some military scout vessels were large enough to be considered capital ships.