patrol

¹pa·trol

noun \pə-ˈtrōl\

Definition of PATROL

1

a : the action of traversing a district or beat or of going the rounds along a chain of guards for observation or the maintenance of security

b : the person performing such an action

c : a unit of persons or vehicles employed for reconnaissance, security, or combat

2

: a subdivision of a Boy Scout troop or Girl Scout troop

Examples of PATROL

1. The guard makes a patrol of the building every hour.
2. Soldiers are on patrol along the border.
3. Army patrols combed the area.

First Known Use of PATROL

1664

Rhymes with PATROL

airhole, armhole, atoll, bankroll, beadroll, bedroll, black hole, blackpoll, blowhole, borehole, bunghole, cajole, catchpole, charcoal, chuckhole, condole, console, control, creole, Creole, dipole, drumroll, dry hole, Dutch roll, egg roll, enroll, ensoul, extol, eyehole, field goal, fishbowl, flagpole, foxhole, funk hole, hard coal, half sole, heart-whole, hellhole, Huichol, inscroll, insole, in whole, keyhole, kneehole, knothole, leaf roll, logroll, loophole, manhole, maypole, midsole, Mongol, outsole, parole, payroll, peephole, pesthole, pinhole, pistole, pitchpole, porthole, posthole, pothole, redpoll, ridgepole, Sheol, shot hole, sinkhole, ski pole, slipsole, snap roll, sotol, sound hole, spring roll, tadpole, taphole, thumbhole, top-hole, touchhole, unroll, washbowl, weep hole, white hole, wormhole

²patrol

verb

pa·trolledpa·trol·ling

Definition of PATROL

intransitive verb

: to carry out a patrol

transitive verb

: to carry out a patrol of

— pa·trol·ler noun

Examples of PATROL

1. The squad had orders to patrol the area.
2. The border is patrolled by the army.

Origin of PATROL

French patrouiller, from Middle French, to tramp around in the mud, from patte paw — more at patten

First Known Use: 1691