platoon Definition
pla·toon (plə to̵̅o̅n′)
noun
- a military unit composed of two or more squads or sections, normally under the command of a lieutenant: it is a subdivision of a company, troop, etc.
- a group or unit like this a platoon of police
- Sports any of the specialized squads (as the offensive and defensive squads in professional football) constituting a single team
Etymology: Fr peloton, a ball, group, platoon < OFr pelote, a ball: see pellet
transitive verb
- to divide into platoons, or use as or on a platoon
- ☆ Sports to alternate (players) at a position to platoon two rookies in right field
intransitive verb
- to be alternated with another player at a position
- to platoon players at a position
platoon Synonyms
platoon Usage Examples
Preposition: of
- battalion: EVACUATION The ambulance platoon of the support battalion medical company provides evacuation.
- soldier: At this period or a little later, a platoon of 36 soldiers would have three Bren guns.
Converse of object
- deploy: In contrast a Russian platoon deployed in a Broad Wedge had a defensive position 250 m wide by 150 m deep.
- command: Rae commanded a platoon in ' C ' Company holding the line at Hooge Crater.
Adjective modifier
- 1st: He tells 1st platoon to get over to the left flank on the double.
- 2nd: The advance guard were the three tanks carrying Bessonov's 2nd Platoon, 1st company.
- entire: Losing an entire command platoon had thrown the communist offensive into total disarray.
- German: This scenario represents a platoon assault on a defended German position manned by an understrength German platoon.
- whole: Traveling back to the airport in a van with a whole platoon of the grumpy old men I found he had stirred UKIP too.
Modifies a noun
- sergeant: Corporal Wood's platoon sergeant was killed, the onus being placed on Corporal Wood to become its leader.
- commander: In all this time, the only officer I saw was our Platoon commander, Captain Skinner.
- headquarters: The platoon headquarters can provide the mobile patrols along the platoon segment of the route.
- leader: Several kilometers away, the platoon leader watches the action on his wrist monitor.
- officer: Our platoon officer suddenly gave the order to get down into cover.
Noun used with modifier
- anti-tank: Currently in command of an anti-tank platoon, he is about to convert to the new Javelin weapons system.
- infantry: Infantry Platoon Generally three or four squads per platoon, possibly with attached heavy weapons.
- scout: Movement control teams are structured around the scout platoon to maintain a cohesive chain of command.
- rifle: The reserve will only be one motorized rifle platoon.
- mortar: The Battalion suffered little German artillery fire, however, lost their mortar platoon due to an unlucky enemy shell.
- reconnaissance: At the start of the game each side may allocate one reconnaissance platoon to infiltration via the sewers.
Browse dictionary entries near platoon
- ‹ Platonize
- ‹ Platonism
- ‹ Platonic year
- ‹ Platonic
- ‹ Plato
- ‹ platitudinous
- ‹ platitudinize
- ‹ platitude
- ‹ platinum metal
- ‹ platinum group metals
- platoon sergeant ›
- Plattdeutsch ›
- Platte ›
- platter ›
- Plattsburgh ›
- platy ›
- platy- ›
- platyhelminth ›
- platypus ›
- platyrrhine ›

