patrol
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: government
law-enforcement
military
politics
war
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. 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.
Inflected forms:
form: patrols
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: patrols
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: patrolling
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: patrolled
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: patrolled
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: 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.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Four members of the squadron were on patrol.
The watch consisted of twelve convicts—men selected for their good behaviour. Immediately after tattoo had beat they began their patrol. 'No complaint was ever made of them,' remarks Phillip, and they were expressly cautioned to avoid disputes with soldiers or seamen ( many of whom were as great thieves as the convicts themselves).
gloss: 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.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: The guards who go the rounds for observation; a detachment whose duty it is to patrol.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: After cordial good-bye to our hospitable hostess we motored back to Chaumont where we dined with Colonel Mitchell; and then with another long drive we finally reached home tired but happy at 3.30 in the morning. There staring me in the face was an order directing me to lead my patrol over the lines in the morning at five o'clock, sharp! An hour and a half sleep for an utterly worn out aviator!
gloss: The largest division of officers within a police department or sheriff's office, whose assignment is to patrol and respond to calls for service.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: Any perambulation of a particular line or district to guard it; also, the people thus guarding.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: a customs patrol
a fire patrol
1787-1788, Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers
In France there is an army of patrols […] to secure her fiscal regulations.
Philadelphia’s foot-patrol strategy was developed after a study in 2009 by criminologists from Temple University, which is in the 22nd district. A randomised trial overturned the conventional view that foot patrols make locals like the police more and fear crime less, but do not actually reduce crime. In targeted areas, violent crime decreased by 23%.
gloss: A unit of a troop, usually defined by certain ranks or age groups within the troop, and ideally comprised of six to eight members.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: On a makeshift bed in the corner was an old woman looking very sick. Then a patrol of "Missioner" Scouts appeared on the scene: one seized a broom and swept out the room; the next made up the fire with some fuel he had procured and made her a cup of tea; another mended the rickety table, bed and chair, making them at any rate serviceable, while a fourth straightened out the bedclothes, propped the old lady up, and did his best to cheer her until the tea was ready.
The formation of the boys into Patrols of from six to eight and training them as separate units each under its own responsible leader is the key to a good Troop.
gloss: To go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police district or beat.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
gloss: To go the rounds of, as a sentry, guard, or policeman
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: to patrol a frontier
to patrol a beat
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.
Derived words: border patrol
combat air patrol
dawn patrol
donut patrol
emu patrol
foot patrol
highway patrol
military patrol
nonpatrol
on eternal patrol
patrol boat
patrol bomber
patrol cap
patrol car
patrol leader
patrolman
patrol officer
patrolperson
patrol ship
patrol van
patrol vehicle
patrol wagon
patrolwoman
saturation patrol
senior patrol leader
Sharia patrol
shore patrol
ski patrol
squadrol
time patrol
autopatrolled
patrollable
patroller
repatrol
unpatrollable
unpatrolled
Translations: