platoon

[ pluh-toon ]

noun

1. a military unit consisting of two or more squads or sections and a headquarters.
2. a small unit of a police force.
3. a company or group of persons:

   a platoon of visitors.

4. Football. a group of players specially trained in one aspect of the game, as offense or defense, and used as a unit:

   a halfback on the offensive platoon.

verb (used with object)

1. Sports.
   1. to use (a player) at a position in a game alternately with another player or players.
   2. to alternate (two different teams or units), as separate offensive and defensive squads.

verb (used without object)

1. Sports.
   1. to alternate at a position with another player or players.
   2. to use players alternately at the same position.
   3. to alternate different teams.

platoon

/ pləˈtuːn /

noun

1. military a subunit of a company usually comprising three sections of ten to twelve men: commanded by a lieutenant
2. a group or unit of people, esp one sharing a common activity, characteristic, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of platoon¹

1630–40; earlier plotton < French peloton little ball, group, platoon, diminutive of pelote ball. See pellet, -oon

Word History and Origins

Origin of platoon¹

C17: from French peloton little ball, group of men, from pelote ball; see pellet

Example Sentences

A platoon of National Guard members stood beside him and snapped pictures as the sun set behind the Washington Monument.

From Washington Post

When the platoon leader was wounded by a buried bomb, Lorance was sent to lead the men, though he had no combat experience.

From Washington Post

If they don’t and instead form a right-left platoon at first, both Kieboom and García could be in the majors next spring.

From Washington Post

For the first application of my doctoral project on self-organizing systems, I thought, “Let’s try to have platoons of cars flock like birds.”

From Quanta Magazine

There’s this feedback that promotes the formation of platoons, because it’s easier to coordinate 10 10-car platoons than 100 cars, each with its own trajectory.

From Quanta Magazine

But that was Oliver expunging all this anger he had from not being able to get Platoon made yet, which was his baby.

From The Daily Beast

It was the part that Willem Dafoe wound up playing in Platoon.

From The Daily Beast

Once every ten days, a platoon rotates back to Balad Air Base to take showers and wash clothes.

From The Daily Beast

One day, “myself and Holmes found ourselves kind of secluded from the majority of the platoon,” Morlock tells Krauss.

From The Daily Beast

As the platoon was leaving the compound, they came across a local: Mullah Adahdad.

From The Daily Beast

A frenzied bustle ensued as Wilkins directed a platoon of awed techs through the process of bringing the mountain to Mohammed.

From Project Gutenberg

The bugler was ordered to blow the Assembly, and the whole platoon gathered in front of the mansion, which faced the east.

From Project Gutenberg

In another moment the men of the leading platoon had also fallen into the route step.

From Project Gutenberg

"Ranking sergeants of each platoon report here," called Captain Foster quietly, as he halted.

From Project Gutenberg

The remaining troops stayed behind as best they could, a few thousand here, a platoon there.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• batch
• detachment
• patrol
• squad
• squadron