platoon

¹pla·toon

noun \plə-ˈtün, pla-\

Definition of PLATOON

1

: a subdivision of a company-sized military unit normally consisting of two or more squads or sections

2

: a group of persons sharing a common characteristic or activity <a platoon of waiters>; especially : a group of football players who are trained for either offense or defense and are sent into or withdrawn from the game as a body

Examples of PLATOON

1. <will need a platoon of assistants to mount the display at the spring flower show>

Origin of PLATOON

French peloton small detachment, literally, ball, from Middle French pelote little ball — more at pellet

First Known Use: 1637

Related to PLATOON

Synonyms: army, band, brigade, company, crew, outfit, party, gang, squad, team

Related Words: battalion, corps, troop; force, host, posse, stable, troupe; administration, department, help, personnel, staff

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Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

Rhymes with PLATOON

aswoon, attune, baboon, balloon, bassoon, blue moon, buffoon, Calhoun, Cancún, cardoon, cartoon, cocoon, commune, doubloon, dragoon, festoon, fine-tune, forenoon, full moon, gaboon, gadroon, galloon, Gudrun, half-moon, harpoon, high noon, immune, impugn, jargoon, jejune, Kowloon, Kunlun, lagoon, lampoon, lardoon, Maine coon, maroon, monsoon, Neptune, new moon, oppugn, Pashtun, patroon, poltroon, pontoon, premune, puccoon, quadroon, ratoon, repugn, rough-hewn, saloon, Sassoon, shalloon, soupspoon, spittoon, spontoon, teaspoon, tribune, triune, tuchun, tycoon, typhoon, untune, Walloon