platoon

1 of 2

noun

pla·​toon plə-ˈtün How to pronounce platoon (audio)
pla-
1
: a subdivision of a company-sized military unit normally consisting of two or more squads or sections
2
: a group of persons sharing a common characteristic or activity
a platoon of waiters
especially : a group of football players who are trained for either offense or defense and are sent into or withdrawn from the game as a body

platoon

2 of 2

verb

platooned; platooning; platoons

transitive verb

: to play (one player) alternately with another player in the same position (as on a baseball team)

intransitive verb

1
: to alternate with another player at the same position
2
: to use alternate players at the same position

Examples of platoon in a Sentence

Noun will need a platoon of assistants to mount the display at the spring flower show
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Typically, compared to other pitches, sinkers have larger platoon splits. Will Sammon, The Athletic, 10 Dec. 2024 As a military police platoon leader and trainer for the Kuwait National Guard's counterterrorism unit, Gabbard achieved another milestone in 2009, becoming one of the first women to set foot in a Kuwaiti military facility and the first woman to be honored by the Kuwait National Guard. Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
The decision to platoon Walker never fully made sense. Katie Woo, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024 With Betts remaining at shortstop and Rojas on the verge of returning, veteran fill-in shortstop Nick Ahmed could be designated for assignment, and recently acquired utility man Amed Rosario and perhaps Rojas could platoon with Lux at second base. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for platoon 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French peloton small detachment, literally, ball, from Middle French pelote little ball — more at pellet

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1963, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of platoon was circa 1547

Dictionary Entries Near platoon

Cite this Entry

“Platoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platoon. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

platoon

noun
pla·​toon
plə-ˈtün,
pla-
1
: a part of a military company consisting of two or more squads
2
: a group of football players sent into or withdrawn from the game as a body

More from Merriam-Webster on platoon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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