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patrol

Pronunciation: /pəˈtrəʊl/

Translate patrol | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of patrol

noun

  • 1an expedition to keep watch over an area, especially by guards or police walking or driving around at regular intervals:we were ordered to investigate on a night patrol
  • a person or group of people sent to keep watch over an area:a police patrol stopped the man and searched him
  • [mass noun] the action of keeping watch over an area:the police were on patrol when they were ordered to investigate the incident
  • a routine operational voyage of a ship or aircraft:a submarine patrol
  • British an official who controls traffic where children cross the road:there were two schools but no crossing patrol
  • 2a unit of six to eight Scouts or Guides forming part of a troop: break the Cubs into sixes and Scouts into patrols

verb (patrols, patrolling, patrolled)

[with object]
  • keep watch over (an area) by regularly walking or travelling around it:the garrison had to patrol the streets to maintain order [no object]:pairs of men were patrolling on each side of the thoroughfare

Derivatives

patroller

noun

Origin:

mid 17th century (as a noun): from German Patrolle, from French patrouille, from patrouiller 'paddle in mud', from patte 'paw' + dialect (gad)rouille 'dirty water'

Spelling rule

Double the l when adding endings which begin with a vowel to words which end in a vowel plus l (as in travel): (patrols, patrolling, patrolled).

patrol in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of patrol in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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