patrol

1 of 2

noun

pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl How to pronounce patrol (audio)
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

patrol

2 of 2

verb

patrolled; patrolling

intransitive verb

: to carry out a patrol

transitive verb

: to carry out a patrol of
patroller noun

Examples of patrol in a Sentence

Noun The guard makes a patrol of the building every hour. Soldiers are on patrol along the border. Army patrols combed the area. Verb The squad had orders to patrol the area. The border is patrolled by the army.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Employees deemed essential to public safety, including military personnel, law enforcement officers, border patrol and air traffic controllers, are required to work regardless. Terry Moseley, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025 For decades, the red beret has served as a visual signal of safety—especially in the city’s subways, where the Guardian Angels first began their patrols. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Another video obtained by Reuters appeared to show armed Hamas members patrolling streets. Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025 The mayor said Theetge is working with Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey on a new joint task force to patrol parts of Downtown. Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for patrol

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of patrol was in 1648

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

patrol

1 of 2 noun
pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl How to pronounce patrol (audio)
1
a
: the action of going the rounds of an area for observation or guard
b
: the person or group doing the patrolling
2
: a part of a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop

patrol

2 of 2 verb
patrolled; patrolling
: to carry out a patrol or a patrol of
patroller noun

More from Merriam-Webster on patrol

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!