patrol

[puh-trohl]

verb (used without object), pa·trolled, pa·trol·ling.

(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.

verb (used with object), pa·trolled, pa·trol·ling.

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

noun

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

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

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

the act of patrolling.

patrol wagon.

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

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

Related formspa·trol·ler, nounre·pa·trol, verb (used with object), re·pa·trolled, re·pa·trol·ling.un·pa·trolled, adjectivewell-pa·trolled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for patrolled

vigilance, garrison, safeguard, inspect, cruise, lookout, spy, watching, watch, protection, sentinel, scouting, policing, escorting, protecting, pound, police, mount, range, shotgun

Examples from the Web for patrolled

Contemporary Examples of patrolled

Both borders are patrolled by UN peacekeepers, missions that all parties disparage as weak and biased.
War of Words Between Israel and UN Continues
Betsy Pisik
August 10, 2014
Men and youths wearing surgical masks or balaclavas guarded the building and patrolled its immediate vicinity.
Inside a Russian-Occupied Police Station in Ukraine
David Patrikarakos
April 13, 2014
He patrolled on foot, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) filled the donkey paths that crisscrossed the wadis and hills.
How a Thumb-Sized Gauge Is Revolutionizing Traumatic Brain Injuries
Brian Castner
March 23, 2014
They patrolled the station to protect military personnel, equipment and facilities.
How William's Guard Dogs Were Killed Days After He Left His RAF Job
Tom Sykes
September 18, 2013
Col. Harry Tunnell commanded a brigade that included the 1–17 battalion, which patrolled Arghandab in central Kandahar province.
6 Ways the U.S. Failed in Afghanistan: Speed Read of ‘Little America’
The Daily Beast
July 4, 2012

Historical Examples of patrolled

It is still dark, but the streets are patrolled and every gate is closed, and how are you to escape?
The Eternal City
Hall Caine
They cooked; they slept; they drilled and patrolled the beach.
Janet of the Dunes
Harriet T. Comstock
It gave Gordon something to think about while they patrolled the beat.
Police Your Planet
Lester del Rey
Back and forth she patrolled along the edges of the windfall.
The Black Phantom
Leo Edward Miller
But who was this fellow in the Bavarian hat, who patrolled the sidewalk?
The Place of Honeymoons
Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for patrolled

patrol

noun

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

a person or group that carries out such an action

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

a division of a troop of Scouts or Guides

verb -trols, -trolling or -trolled

to engage in a patrol of (a place)

Derived Formspatroller, noun

Word Origin for patrol

C17: from French patrouiller, from patouiller to flounder in mud, from patte paw

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 patrolled

patrol

1660s, "action of going the rounds" (of a military camp, etc.), from French patrouille "a night watch" (1530s), from patrouiller "go the rounds to watch or guard," originally "tramp through the mud," probably soldiers' slang, from Old French patouiller "paddle in water," probably from pate "paw, foot" (see patten). Compare paddlefoot, World War II U.S. Army slang for "infantry soldier." Meaning "those who go on a patrol" is from 1660s. Sense of "detachment of soldiers sent out to scout the countryside, the enemy, etc." is attested from 1702.

patrol

1690s, from patrol (n.) and in part from French patrouiller. Related: Patrolled; patrolling.