What does "patrol" mean?

1. (to guard an area) to go around an area or building at regular times to check that it is safe. 2. (the act of guarding) the act of checking an area, or the group of people doing the checking. 3. (a small group of scouts) a small group of people within a larger club, like the Scouts.

How do you use "patrol"?

Can be used with or without a direct object.

patrol

v. · n.

US //pəˈtɹoʊɫ// UK //pɐtɹˈəʊl// pa·trol

1 to guard an area (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to go around an area or building at regular times to check that it is safe.

to traverse a specific district or perimeter for the purpose of observation and security maintenance.

Example

Security guards patrol the shopping mall every hour during the night.

Example

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.
- ignore
- neglect
2 the act of guarding (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the act of checking an area, or the group of people doing the checking.

the action of going through an area to monitor it; also refers to the specific detachment or unit assigned to this duty.

Example

The police officer is currently out on patrol in the city centre.

Example

The dawn patrol reported no signs of forced entry, though they noted several broken streetlights along the northern perimeter.

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3 a small group of scouts (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a small group of people within a larger club, like the Scouts.

a small unit within a troop of Scouts, typically consisting of six to eight members.

Example

Our scout patrol won the competition for building the best campfire.

Example

Each patrol within the troop was responsible for its own equipment and meal planning during the week-long summer expedition.

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

From French patrouiller, from Old French patrouiller (“to paddle, paw about, patrol”), from patte (“a paw”).