squad

[ skwod ]

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

, squad·ded, squad·ding.

1. to form into squads.
2. to assign to a squad.

squad

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of squad¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of squad¹

C17: from Old French esquade, from Old Spanish escuadra, from escuadrar to square , from the square formations used

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, on the street, a squad of surveyors searches for clues to a mystery lying beneath their feet.

From Quartz

CFG is reportedly offering a price in the “low single-digit millions” for the squad, sources told the newspaper.

From Fortune

James played a different role on each of those squads, and this season has been no different.

From FiveThirtyEight

Having Neymar in your squad doesn’t hurt either — the ball he played to Mbappé on the move that led to Choupo-Moting’s goal was as good as it gets, proving the Brazilian can be the best player on the pitch whenever he decides to be.

From FiveThirtyEight

Even after Leicester’s back-to-back holiday defeats to Man City and Liverpool, the model continued to favor the squad above Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United and Wolves for Champions League qualification.

From FiveThirtyEight

Another set of hackers that goes by the name the Lizard Squad told the Washington Post that they helped with the Sony hack.

From The Daily Beast

And some members of the Lizard Squad are now claiming that they were never trying to poison the network.

From The Daily Beast

There is a lot of residual concern that Lizard Squad was able to get even this far.

From The Daily Beast

But the Lizard Squad was able to get one thing done: Piss off Anonymous, the best known of the hacktivist collectives.

From The Daily Beast

It almost makes you wonder if Lizard Squad did this just to annoy Anonymous and the other earnest champions of privacy.

From The Daily Beast

Halting his squad, Lawrence dismounted, and taking Harry, they carefully made their way to the brow of a hill which lay in front.

From Project Gutenberg

So Lawrence find Harry rode ahead, the squad some fifteen or twenty paces in the rear, leisurely following.

From Project Gutenberg

There was no need of Lawrence signaling Dan to come on, for the squad were urging their horses to the limit.

From Project Gutenberg

Then a squad of sepoys were told to “shoot all the women and children in the Bibigarh through the windows of the house.”

From Project Gutenberg

Once a party trotted by within a half-mile of us, but no one of the four men we wanted to see was in the squad.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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