troop

play

noun \ ˈtrüp \

Definition of troop

1 a :a group of soldiers

b :a cavalry unit corresponding to an infantry company

c troops plural :armed forces, soldiers

2 :a collection of people or things :crew 2

3 :a flock of mammals or birds

4 :the basic organizational unit of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts under an adult leader

See troop defined for English-language learners

See troop defined for kids

Examples of troop in a Sentence

Where is his troop heading?
a plan to withdraw troops
a troop of enthusiastic children

Recent Examples of troop from the Web

Some troops remained in the United States for weeks as part of the humanitarian aid.

— anne gearan, Washington Post, "Tillerson thanks Mexico for hurricane aid offer but doesn’t say U.S. will accept it," 30 Aug. 2017
That same day a food drive will be at Jewel Foods, 475 Nelson Road, New Lenox, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to collect items for the troops and local food pantries.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Recyclepalooza event Sept. 9 in New Lenox," 30 Aug. 2017
Although it is being called a freeze on President Trump’s decision to ban transgender troops, Secretary Mattis’s announcement does not directly contradict any of the president’s orders.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "Defense Secretary: Transgender Troops Can Continue to Serve (for Now)," 30 Aug. 2017
China is wary of doing anything that would lead to North Korea’s collapse, a scenario that could potentially destabilize its economy and put U.S. troops directly on its border.

— andy sharp, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Vows ‘All Options’ Open After North Korea Missile Launch," 29 Aug. 2017
When the battle ended, Union troops retreated across the bridge and through the water.

— mike yessis, Smithsonian, "These Five “Witness Trees” Were Present At Key Moments In America’s History," 25 Aug. 2017
McMaster, on the other hand, has been advocating a troop increase in Afghanistan—and saw to it, as one of his first moves in his new job, helped to remove Bannon from the National Security Council.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Inside the Plot to Oust Steve Bannon," 17 Aug. 2017
A look at the medical care provided to 38,000 U.S. troops with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder showed warning signs, according to a study released Monday by the Rand Corp.

— jeanette steele, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Troops at risk for suicide don't get enough follow-up, major study finds," 8 Aug. 2017
A fully-automatic version of the civilian AR-10 rifle would be ideal—the gun would be very similar to the M4 carbine, allowing troops to transition to it more quickly.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Army Is Officially Looking For a Newer, More Powerful Rifle," 7 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of troop

Middle French trope, troupe company, herd, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English thorp, throp village — more at thorp

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First Known Use: 1545

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troop Synonyms

Synonyms

company, troupe

Related Words

stock company; cast, dramatis personae, ensemble

Near Antonyms

civilians, noncombatants

Other Military Terms

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

troop

verb

Definition of troop

intransitive verb

1 :to move or gather in crowds

2 :to go one's way :walk

3 :to spend time together :associate

4 :to move in large numbers

See troop defined for English-language learners

Examples of troop in a Sentence

We all trooped back inside.
The kids trooped off to school.

Recent Examples of troop from the Web

Outfitted with stop signs and whistles, a clump of 14 potential crossing guards took turns trooping across a parking lot crosswalk at Orange County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday.

— amelia cheatham, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orange County students return to school Aug. 14. Will they have enough crossing guards?," 19 July 2017
Residents — including families with babies and elderly relatives — trooped out of the buildings late Friday night with suitcases and plastic bags stuffed with clothes.

— Bloomberg.com, "UK Finds 34 High-rise Apartment Buildings With Unsafe Siding," 24 June 2017
Residents trooped out of the buildings Friday night with suitcases and plastic bags stuffed with clothes as council workers in high-visibility security vests guided them to a local community center where some spent the night on inflatable beds.

— Washington Post, "London council evacuates tower blocks as fire fallout widens," 24 June 2017
At Longshaw Lodge in Derbyshire, England, the nurses who tended convalescing soldiers trooped out to the damp grounds to collect moss for their wounds.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "How Humble Moss Healed the Wounds of Thousands in World War I," 28 Apr. 2017
It’s festival season, which means some of our favorite celebrities are trooping out to the deserts of Indio, California, for the annual massive gathering that is Coachella.

— vanity fair, Vanities, "See Celebrities in the Vanity Fair Coachella Portrait Studio," 16 Apr. 2017
Leigh-Anne was said to have scalded herself with hot water – meaning bandmates Jade Thirlwell, Perrie Edwards, and Jesy Nelson trooped on stage without her in Anaheim, California on Thursday.

— Seventeen, "Little Mix Perform as a Trio After Leigh-Anne Pinnock "Suffers Burn Injury Backstage"," 31 Mar. 2017
Eventually, the elephants finished munching leaves and trooped to a gushing river nearby.

— amy yee, New York Times, "Poaching Leaves Elephant Daughters in Charge," 4 July 2016

First Known Use of troop

1565

TROOP Defined for English Language Learners

troop

play

noun

Definition of troop for English Language Learners

: a group of soldiers
troops : soldiers in a group
: a group of people or things

troop

verb

Definition of troop for English Language Learners

: to walk somewhere in a group

TROOP Defined for Kids

troop

play

noun \ ˈtrüp \

Definition of troop for Students

1 :a group of soldiers

2 troops plural :armed forces :military

3 :a group of beings or things

Troops of fans turned out for the game.

4 :a unit of boy or girl scouts under a leader

troop

verb

Definition of troop for Students

trooped; trooping

:to move or gather in groups

… the penguins trooped past him.
—Richard and Florence Atwater, Mr. Popper's Penguins

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troop

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Origin and Etymology of troop

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Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Military Terms

troop

Definition of troop

Examples of troop in a Sentence

Recent Examples of troop from the Web

First Known Use of troop

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TROOP Defined for English Language Learners

troop

Definition of troop for English Language Learners

troop

Definition of troop for English Language Learners

TROOP Defined for Kids

troop

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troop

Definition of troop for Students

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