patrol
Forms
- Plural
- patrols
- present (v1)
- patrol
- past (v2)
- patrolled
- past participle (v3)
- patrolled
- present participle
- patrolling
- 3rd person singular
- patrols
Definitions
1.A going of the rounds along the chain of sentinels and between the posts, by a guard, usually consisting of three or four men, to insure greater security from attacks on the outposts.
- Four members of the squadron were on patrol.
2.A movement, by a small body of troops beyond the line of outposts, to explore the country and gain intelligence of the enemy's whereabouts.
3.The guards who go the rounds for observation; a detachment whose duty it is to patrol.
4.The largest division of officers within a police department or sheriff's office, whose assignment is to patrol and respond to calls for service.
1.To go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police district or beat.
2.To go the rounds of, as a sentry, guard, or policeman
- Watchmen are stationed continuously at each end of the bridge, and the main spans are patrolled twice during the night.
- Whether attempting to keep the peace in Bosnia, evacuating American citizens from Albania, or patrolling the world's seas and skies, our service men and women risk capture by unfriendly foreign forces.
Frequency
Overall
Rare· #4468
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Rare
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From French patrouille, from Old French patrouille, patouille (“a night-watch”, literally “a tramping about”), from patrouiller, patouiller, patoiller (“to paddle or pudder in water, dabble with the feet, begrime, besmear”), from patte, pate (“paw, foot of an animal”), from Vulgar Latin *patta (“paw, foot”), from Frankish *patta (“paw, sole of the foot”), from Proto-Germanic *paþjaną, *paþōną (“to walk, tread, go, step, pace”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pent-, *(s)pat- (“path; to walk”), a variant of Proto-Indo-European *pent-, *pat- (“path; to go”); see find.