platoon

noun pla·toon \ plə-ˈtün , pla- \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

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; especially : a group of football players who are trained for either offense or defense and are sent into or withdrawn from the game as a body

See platoon defined for English-language learners

See platoon defined for kids

Examples of platoon in a Sentence

will need a platoon of assistants to mount the display at the spring flower show

Recent Examples of platoon from the Web

His namesake nephew has a photograph of his platoon, the 111th.

— salem statesman journal, OregonLive.com, "Remains of Marine killed in WWII heading home to Oregon," 4 Apr. 2018
With both catchers hitting right-handed, the situation has the makings of an unpredictable platoon fantasy owners will want to avoid.

— steve gardner, USA TODAY, "Tuffy Awards 2018: Matt Davidson homers three times on opening day," 3 Apr. 2018
As such, the Universal release is certain to offend platoons of the citizenry (their outcries will only help muster focus at the box-office level) and delight even more.

— robert osborne, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Monty Python's The Meaning of Life': THR's 1983 Review," 31 Mar. 2018
That sounds less stressful than Rear Admiral Jackson’s stint in Iraq with a surgical shock trauma platoon.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "A Trump Choice for Veterans," 30 Mar. 2018
Primarily a platoon player, the lefty-swinging Smith has delivered a better-than-league-average OPS-plus each of the last seven years while averaging 14 home runs over the last nine.

— jorge l. ortiz, USA TODAY, "10 notable players still unsigned at MLB's Opening Day," 28 Mar. 2018
Her platoon in Germany had fire control mechanics and M60 tank turret mechanics.

— sarah jacobs, The Aegis, "Army veteran recalls her place in women’s history," 26 Mar. 2018
The batter was Reggie Jefferson, a quality platoon hitter for Jimy Williams’s likable mid-to-late-’90s Red Sox teams of Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra, and a bunch of Dan Duquette’s scrap-heap discoveries.

— chad finn, BostonGlobe.com, "Go ahead, cut the cord. You can still watch baseball plenty of ways," 23 Mar. 2018
Rich with useful platoon bats, the Dodgers’ offense looks strong and their pitching staff includes Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen.

— ted berg, For The Win, "Which of MLB's expected contenders is most likely to disappoint in 2018?," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'platoon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of platoon

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1547

See Words from the same year

platoon Synonyms

Synonyms

army, band, brigade, company, crew, gang, outfit, party, squad, team;

Related Words

battalion, corps, troop;

force, host, posse, stable, troupe;

help, personnel, staff;

Other Military Terms

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

platoon

verb

Definition of platoon

transitive verb

: to play (one player) alternately with another player in the same position (as on a baseball team)

intransitive verb

1 : to alternate with another player at the same position

2 : to use alternate players at the same position

Recent Examples of platoon from the Web

The lefty hitter will platoon with Brandon Guyer while Chisenhall recovers.

— terry pluto, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Indians: How they keep winning -- Terry Pluto (photos)," 14 Apr. 2018
Carlos Tocci, the backup center fielder, will continue to platoon on the bench.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Injuries have forced Rangers to throw a Round Rock reunion | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 13 Apr. 2018
Can’t the Royals platoon him with Lucas Duda at first base?

— maria torres, kansascity, "This is why Frank Schwindel will not be with the Royals on opening day | The Kansas City Star," 28 Mar. 2018
Butler platooned Wideman and Fowler and can do likewise with Fowler and 6-11 Joey Brunk.

— david woods, Indianapolis Star, "Minus Martin, Butler's run of NCAA appearances in jeopardy," 19 Mar. 2018
He has not been exclusively platooned the past two seasons.

— peter schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles notes: Danny Valencia, Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo and Sunday's celebrity bat boys," 10 Mar. 2018
Mountain View’s Peloton has developed another approach, platooning, in which one or more trucks (with or without drivers) follow a lead truck with a human driver.

— carolyn said, San Francisco Chronicle, "Starsky, Uber aim for driverless long-haul trucks," 8 Mar. 2018
Bruce Maxwell and Josh Phegley will platoon behind the plate.

— steve gardner, USA TODAY, "Fantasy baseball preview: Several surprising power sources in Oakland," 2 Feb. 2018
Hunter Pence will be 34 but is expected to platoon.

— henry schulman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Biggest questions for the Giants heading into spring training," 12 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of platoon

1963

PLATOON Defined for English Language Learners

platoon

noun

Definition of platoon for English Language Learners

: a group of soldiers that includes two or more squads usually led by one lieutenant
: a group of people who are doing something together

PLATOON Defined for Kids

platoon

noun pla·toon \ plə-ˈtün \

Definition of platoon for Students

: a part of a military company usually made up of two or more squads

Learn More about platoon

See words that rhyme with platoon Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for platoon Spanish Central: Translation of platoon Nglish: Translation of platoon for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of platoon for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about platoon

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platoon

Definition of platoon

Examples of platoon in a Sentence

Recent Examples of platoon from the Web

Origin and Etymology of platoon

platoon Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Military Terms

platoon

Definition of platoon

Recent Examples of platoon from the Web

First Known Use of platoon

PLATOON Defined for English Language Learners

platoon

Definition of platoon for English Language Learners

PLATOON Defined for Kids

platoon

Definition of platoon for Students

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