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escadrille

[es-kuh-dril, es-kuh-dril; French es-ka-dree-yuh]
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noun, plural es·ca·drilles [es-kuh-drilz, es-kuh-drilz; French es-ka-dree-yuh] /ˌɛs kəˈdrɪlz, ˈɛs kəˌdrɪlz; French ɛs kaˈdri yə/.
  1. a squadron or divisional unit of airplanes: the Lafayette Escadrille of World War I.
  2. Obsolete. a small naval squadron.
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Origin of escadrille

1910–15; < French: flotilla, Middle French < Spanish escuadrilla, diminutive of escuadra squadron
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for escadrille

Historical Examples

  • We had little thought that an escadrille of German planes could reach Paris.

    Paris Vistas

    Helen Davenport Gibbons

  • He began to think of what the boys of the escadrille would say.

  • Our escadrille had been in Luxeuil during the months of April and May.

    Flying for France

    James R. McConnell

  • The news of Rockwell's death was telephoned to the escadrille.

    Flying for France

    James R. McConnell

  • He was the founder of the American escadrille and every one in it had come to rely on him.

    Flying for France

    James R. McConnell

British Dictionary definitions for escadrille

escadrille

noun
  1. a French squadron of aircraft, esp in World War I
  2. a small squadron of ships
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Word Origin

from French: flotilla, from Spanish escuadrilla, from escuadra squadron
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for escadrille

n.

from French escadrille, from Spanish escuadrilla, diminutive of escuadra "square, squad, squadron," from Vulgar Latin *exquadrare, from Latin quadrare "to square" (see quadrant).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper