squad

American  

[skwod] / skwɒd /

noun

• squads
  plural

1. a small number of soldiers, commonly 10 privates, a staff sergeant, and a corporal; the smallest military unit.

2. a group of police officers, especially one organized to deal with a particular area of law enforcement.

   drug squad; fraud squad.

3. any small group or party of persons engaged in a common enterprise.

4. a sports team or a group of players from which a team is selected.

5. Slang. a group of friends.

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verb (used with object)

squadded, squadding

1. to form into squads.

2. to assign to a squad.

squad British  

/ skwɒd /

noun

1. the smallest military formation, typically comprising a dozen soldiers, used esp as a drill formation

2. any small group of people engaged in a common pursuit

3. sport a number of players from which a team is to be selected

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• squads
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of squad

1640–50; < French esquade, alteration of esquadre < Spanish escuadra square; so called from square shape of the formation

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Explanation

A squad is a group, gang, or team, often made up of soldiers or police officers, but any gang will do. Some people call their group of friends a squad, probably so they seem organized and tough. An army squad might focus on demolition or sharpshooting, while a police squad specializes in one particular type of crime — like a vice squad, battling drugs and illegal gambling, or a riot squad, controlling large groups of protesters. Any team of people is a squad, like a cheerleading squad or a squad of teenage graffiti artists. Squad comes from the Vulgar Latin exquadra, "square," or the shape infantry troops historically assembled in to fight.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

squad squads squadding

The 41-year-old made the announcement in an Instagram video, external on Thursday, the day before Jesus was due to announce his squad for this month's Nations League fixtures.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

The Rams activated kicker Joshua Karty to the roster from the practice squad and signed cornerback David Long to the practice squad.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Bellingham has been preferred to Kobbie Mainoo, with Tuchel saying the Manchester United midfielder, who was an early withdrawal from the last squad, has had a "difficult spell with his club".

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Our squad does all sorts of things together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

It’s weird how everything could fall back into place with our squad and Harriett, Hudson, and Dylan might be moving on to senior year without me.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

On weekends, teachers deploy squads of children armed with clipboards of questions: Where are you from?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

The crew of an Allied bomber survived a crash, a palace coup and death squads in Romania.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

But it’s disheartening that Mr. Kozinski sees the Christa Pike case not as a reason to end executions but instead a reason to switch to a different method: firing squads.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Young centre-backs McConville, 21, and Tom Atcheson, 20, looked ready to play at this level, while Ciaron Brown started all four games and drew plaudits having often had to bide his time in past squads.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

All of the squads were short except ours.

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

But Squadrons isn’t just great for its design or it’s incredible, game-wide VR option: it’s also a fun class-based multiplayer game, one that rewards squadding up with friends and coordinating different classes and abilities.

From The Verge ● Dec. 19, 2020

The only thing he left here is this old coat which he wore at squadding in the morning.

From My Neighbors Stories of the Welsh People by Caradoc Evans

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Related Words

• band
• battalion
• division
• force
• gang
• group
• squadron
• troop

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