Patrol Definition

pə-trōl
patrolled, patrolling, patrols
noun
patrols
The act of patrolling.
Webster's New World
The act of moving about an area especially by an authorized and trained person or group, for purposes of observation, inspection, or security.
American Heritage
A person or persons patrolling.
Webster's New World
A small group of soldiers sent on a mission, as for reconnaissance.
Webster's New World
A group of ships, airplanes, etc. used in guarding.
Webster's New World
verb
patrolled, patrolling, patrols
To make a regular and repeated circuit of (an area, town, camp, etc.) in guarding or inspecting.
Webster's New World
To engage in a patrol of.
American Heritage
To engage in a patrol.
American Heritage
To go the rounds of, as a sentry, guard, or policeman; as, to patrol a frontier; to patrol a beat.
Wiktionary
(intransitive) To go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police district or beat.
Wiktionary
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Patrol

Noun

Singular:
patrol
Plural:
patrols

Origin of Patrol

  • 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 *paþjanÄ…, *paþōnÄ… (“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. Cognate with Dutch pad, patte (“paw"), Low German pedden (“to step, tread"), German patschen (“to splash, smack, dabble, waddle"), German Patsche (“a swatter, beater, paw, puddle, mire"). Related to pad, path.

    From Wiktionary

  • French patrouille from patrouiller to patrol alteration of Old French patouiller to paddle about in mud, patrol probably from pate paw patois

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From French patrouiller, from Old French patrouiller (“to paddle, paw about, patrol"), from patte (“a paw")

    From Wiktionary

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