Definitions
01to guard an area
B1 · Intermediate
v. to go around an area or building at regular times to check that it is safe.
v. to traverse a specific district or perimeter for the purpose of observation and security maintenance.
日本語:パトロールする※
“Security guards patrol the shopping mall every hour during the night.”
“Military units continued to patrol the border zone to prevent illegal crossings and monitor any suspicious activity in the region.”
Usage
Can be used with or without a direct object.
02the act of guarding
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. the act of checking an area, or the group of people doing the checking.
n. the action of going through an area to monitor it; also refers to the specific detachment or unit assigned to this duty.
日本語:パトロール※
“The police officer is currently out on patrol in the city centre.”
“The dawn patrol reported no signs of forced entry, though they noted several broken streetlights along the northern perimeter.”
Synonyms
03a small group of scouts
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a small group of people within a larger club, like the Scouts.
n. a small unit within a troop of Scouts, typically consisting of six to eight members.
“Our scout patrol won the competition for building the best campfire.”
“Each patrol within the troop was responsible for its own equipment and meal planning during the week-long summer expedition.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “patrol” in context.
Verb
01. continue to patrol
“Despite the budget cuts, the coast guard will continue to patrol the shoreline.”
verb + infinitive
02. patrol on foot
“Community officers prefer to patrol on foot to build better relationships with residents.”
verb + prep + noun
03. patrol the border
“Troops were deployed to patrol the border and prevent illegal crossings.”
verb + noun
Adverb
04. constantly patrol the perimeter
“Security drones constantly patrol the perimeter of the estate to detect any intruders.”
adv + verb + noun
05. heavily patrol the area
“Armed guards heavily patrol the area surrounding the high-security research facility.”
adv + verb + noun
06. regularly patrol the streets
“Local police officers regularly patrol the streets to deter petty crime and vandalism.”
adv + verb + noun
Real-World Examples
“The mission is sending a long-duration peacekeeping patrol to the impacted area.” “A combined UNIFIL-Lebanese army patrol on Friday found a 107mm rocket launcher loaded with one rocket alongside several additional rockets along a road in Sector East.” Etymology
From French patrouille, from Old French patrouille, patouille (“a night-watch”, literally “a tramping about”), from patrouiller, patouiller, patoiller (“to paddle or pudder in water, dabble with the feet, begrime, besmear”), from patte, pate (“paw, foot of an animal”), from Vulgar Latin patta (“paw, foot”), from Frankish patta (“paw, sole of the foot”), from Proto-Germanic paþjaną, paþōną (“to walk, tread, go, step, pace”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European (s)pent-, (s)pat- (“path; to walk”), a variant of Proto-Indo-European pent-, pat- (“path; to go”); see find. Cognate with Dutch pad, patte (“paw”), Low German pedden (“to step, tread”), German patschen (“to splash, smack, dabble, waddle”), German Patsche (“a swatter, beater, paw, puddle, mire”). Related to pad, path.
From French patrouiller, from Old French patrouiller (“to paddle, paw about, patrol”), from patte (“a paw”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/patrol
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0