patrol
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.
Noun 4 meanings
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.”
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.
The guards who go the rounds for observation; a detachment whose duty it is to patrol.
The largest division of officers within a police department or sheriff's office, whose assignment is to patrol and respond to calls for service.
Verb 2 meanings
To go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police district or beat.
To go the rounds of, as a sentry, guard, or policeman
“to patrol a frontier”
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.
PATROL at a glance
PATROL has 6 letters and scores 8 points in Scrabble (P 3 + A 1 + T 1 + R 1 + O 1 + L 1) and 10 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #5,623 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with patrol
All rhymesOne letter away
- PATRON8
- PETROL8
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