platoon

[ pluh-toon ]

/ pləˈtun /

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noun

a military unit consisting of two or more squads or sections and a headquarters.

a small unit of a police force.

a company or group of persons: a platoon of visitors.

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)

Sports.

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

verb (used without object)

Sports.

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

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Origin of platoon

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

Words nearby platoon

Platonic or platonic, Platonic solid, Platonic year, Platonism, Platonize, platoon, platoon sergeant, Plattdeutsch, Platte, platteland, Plattensee

How to use platoon in a sentence

A platoon of National Guard members stood beside him and snapped pictures as the sun set behind the Washington Monument.
The fortress around downtown D.C. is being dismantled. But heightened security may remain.|Emily Davies, Michael Brice-Saddler, Peter Hermann|January 21, 2021|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.
An unusual mission in Afghanistan, and the troops who suffered to carry it out|Greg Jaffe|January 15, 2021|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.
What’s missing from the Nationals’ roster? Here’s an early look.|Jesse Dougherty|November 6, 2020|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.”
Complexity Scientist Beats Traffic Jams Through Adaptation|Rodrigo Pérez Ortega|September 28, 2020|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.
Complexity Scientist Beats Traffic Jams Through Adaptation|Rodrigo Pérez Ortega|September 28, 2020|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.
The Unbelievable (True) Story of the World’s Most Infamous Hash Smuggler|Marlow Stern|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was the part that Willem Dafoe wound up playing in Platoon.
Viggo Mortensen Talks ‘The Two Faces of January,’ Blasts Fox News and Israel’s ‘State Terrorism’|Marlow Stern|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once every ten days, a platoon rotates back to Balad Air Base to take showers and wash clothes.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One day, “myself and Holmes found ourselves kind of secluded from the majority of the platoon,” Morlock tells Krauss.
‘Kill Team’: The Documentary the Army Doesn’t Want You to See|Andrew Romano|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the platoon was leaving the compound, they came across a local: Mullah Adahdad.
‘Kill Team’: The Documentary the Army Doesn’t Want You to See|Andrew Romano|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A frenzied bustle ensued as Wilkins directed a platoon of awed techs through the process of bringing the mountain to Mohammed.
The Envoy, Her|Horace Brown Fyfe
The bugler was ordered to blow the Assembly, and the whole platoon gathered in front of the mansion, which faced the east.
A Lieutenant at Eighteen|Oliver Optic
In another moment the men of the leading platoon had also fallen into the route step.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
"Ranking sergeants of each platoon report here," called Captain Foster quietly, as he halted.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
The remaining troops stayed behind as best they could, a few thousand here, a platoon there.
Second Variety|Philip Kindred Dick

British Dictionary definitions for platoon

platoon

/ (pləˈtuːn) /

noun

military a subunit of a company usually comprising three sections of ten to twelve men: commanded by a lieutenant

a group or unit of people, esp one sharing a common activity, characteristic, etc

Word Origin for platoon

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

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

platoon

Origin of platoon

Words nearby platoon

Words related to platoon

How to use platoon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for platoon

Word Origin for platoon