# patrol

/pəˈtɹoʊɫ/ (US) · /pɐtɹˈəʊl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/patrol
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to guard an area

verb · CEFR B1

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

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

- 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.

### 2. the act of guarding

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- 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.

### 3. a small group of scouts

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The guards patrol the building every hour.
- Soldiers continue to patrol the border to prevent any unauthorized crossings during the night.
- While the local police regularly patrol the residential districts, the sheer size of the industrial park makes it difficult to monitor every warehouse with the same frequency.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.