patrol

1 of 2

noun

pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl 

1

a

: the action of traversing a district or beat or of going the rounds along a chain of guards for observation or the maintenance of security

b

: the person performing such an action

c

: a unit of persons or vehicles employed for reconnaissance, security, or combat

2

: a subdivision of a Boy Scout troop or Girl Scout troop

patrol

2 of 2

verb

patrolled; patrolling

intransitive verb

: to carry out a patrol

transitive verb

: to carry out a patrol of

patroller noun

Examples of patrol in a Sentence

Noun

The guard makes a patrol of the building every hour.

Soldiers are on patrol along the border.

Army patrols combed the area.

Verb

The squad had orders to patrol the area.

The border is patrolled by the army.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

China has deployed its coast guard on weekslong patrols inside a border area disputed by South Korea, in what analysts say is a calculated move to gradually normalize effective control and gain leverage over the U.S. ally. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025

Last week, an Australian maritime patrol plane had a close encounter with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea. —Victoria Kim, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Verb

This year’s drive, which involved efforts from sheriff’s office personnel, including officers who patrol the township’s unincorporated areas, yielded a large number of nonperishable food items. —Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025

But in the days following the clash, men toting long guns — sometimes wearing masks and clad in black — began patrolling Lincoln Heights, a suburb of Cincinnati. —Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

French patrouiller, from Middle French, to tramp around in the mud, from patte paw — more at patten

First Known Use

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing patrol

• foot patrol
• patrol car
• patrol wagon
• shore patrol
• ski patrol

Rhymes for patrol

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

patrol

1 of 2 noun

pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl 

1

a

: the action of going the rounds of an area for observation or guard

b

: the person or group doing the patrolling

2

: a part of a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop

patrol

2 of 2 verb

patrolled; patrolling

: to carry out a patrol or a patrol of

patroller noun