battalion
n. countablen. a large group of soldiers that works together as a single unit. You can also use it to describe any very large group of people organized for a specific task.
n. a military unit typically consisting of three to five companies and commanded by a lieutenant colonel. Often used metaphorically to describe a large, organized body of people pursuing a common goal.
The battalion marched toward the border at dawn.
The general ordered the third battalion to secure the bridge before the main force arrived.
A battalion of lawyers descended upon the small town, filing dozens of injunctions to halt the construction of the controversial new dam.
From Middle French battaillon (modern French bataillon).
Often followed by the preposition 'of' when used in a non-military context to describe a large group.