patrol

American  

[puh-trohl] / pəˈtroʊl /

verb (used without object)

patrolled, patrolling

1. (of a police officer, soldier, etc.) to pass along a road, beat, etc., or around or through a specified area in order to maintain order and security.

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verb (used with object)

patrolled, patrolling

1. to maintain the order and security of (a road, beat, area, etc.) by passing along or through it.

noun

1. a person or group of persons assigned to patrol an area, road, etc.

2. an automobile, ship, plane, squadron, fleet, etc., assigned to patrol an area.

3. Military. a detachment of two or more persons, often a squad or platoon, detailed for reconnaissance or combat.

4. the act of patrolling.

5. patrol wagon.

6. (in the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts) a subdivision of a troop, usually consisting of about eight members.

patrol British  

/ pəˈtrəʊl /

noun

1. the action of going through or around a town, neighbourhood, etc, at regular intervals for purposes of security or observation

2. a person or group that carries out such an action

3. a military detachment with the mission of security, gathering information, or combat with enemy forces

4. a division of a troop of Scouts or Guides

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verb

1. to engage in a patrol of (a place)

Other Word Forms

• patroller
  noun
• repatrol
  verb (used with object)
• unpatrolled
  adjective
• well-patrolled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of patrol

1655–65; < French patrouille (noun), patrouiller (v.) patrol, originally a pawing (noun), to paw (v.) in mud; derivative (with suffixal -ouille ) of patte paw; -r- unexplained

Explanation

When a person or a group monitors a specific area, that's a patrol. A police officer's night patrol might involve walking a beat on certain city streets. A patrol is the activity of watching a neighborhood or region, and also refers to the person or group doing the watching. And when you join such a group, you can say you patrol. Your neighborhood watch group might patrol the town in groups of three, driving up and down the streets keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. The French patrouille, "a night watch," comes from patrouiller, "go the rounds," and originally "tramp trough the mud."

Example Sentences

In Rehoboth Beach, Del., Beach patrol captain Jeff Giles said the shades were simply taking up too much space on the town’s relatively narrow swaths of sand.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

“Our patrol staffing levels are at historically low levels, which have skyrocketed response times to all-time highs,” Wilson said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

A makeshift memorial has been erected on the sidewalk in front of the centre's gates and police cars still patrol the area surrounding the southern California institution.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

That’s the citizens air patrol formed in Miami in 1991 to assist Cuban refugees in the Florida Straits.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Armed with just a flashlight and flare gun, Cullen continued to walk and patrol the shoreline.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• cruise
• inspect
• safeguard