patrol

Patrol is defined as to regularly guard an area.

(verb)

An example of patrol is for public safety staff to drive around a campus at night.

Patrol means the act of regularly guarding an area, or someone or a group who does the guarding.

(noun)

An example of a patrol is a team of police officers assigned to watch a particular area.

See patrol in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb, intransitive verb patrolled, patrolling

to make a regular and repeated circuit of (an area, town, camp, etc.) in guarding or inspecting

Origin: Fr patrouiller, altered < OFr patouiller, to paddle, puddle, patrol < pate, paw: see patois

noun

the act of patrolling
a person or persons patrolling
1. a small group of soldiers sent on a mission, as for reconnaissance
2. a group of ships, airplanes, etc. used in guarding
a subdivision of a troop of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts

Origin: Fr patrouille < the v.

Related Forms:

See patrol in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

The act of moving about an area especially by an authorized and trained person or group, for purposes of observation, inspection, or security.
A person or group of persons who perform such an act.
a. A military unit sent out on a reconnaissance or combat mission.
b. One or more military vehicles, boats, ships, or aircraft assigned to guard or reconnoiter a given area.
A division of a Boy Scout troop or Girl Scout troop consisting of between six and eight children.

verb pa·trolled, pa·trol·ling, pa·trols

verb, transitive

To engage in a patrol of.

verb, intransitive

To engage in a patrol.

Origin:

Origin: French patrouille

Origin: , from patrouiller, to patrol

Origin: , alteration of Old French patouiller, to paddle about in mud, patrol

Origin: , probably from pate, paw; see patois

Related Forms: