squadron

American  

[skwod-ruhn] / ˈskwɒd rən /

noun

1. a portion of a naval fleet or a detachment of warships; a subdivision of a fleet.

2. an armored cavalry or cavalry unit consisting of two or more troops, a headquarters, and various supporting units.

3. (in the U.S. Air Force).

   1. the basic administrative and tactical unit, smaller than a group and composed of two or more flights.

   2. a flight formation.

4. a number of persons grouped or united together for some purpose; group.

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verb (used with object)

1. to form into a squadron or squadrons; marshal or array in or as if in squadrons.

squadron British  

/ ˈskwɒdrən /

noun

1. 1. a subdivision of a naval fleet detached for a particular task

   2. a number of naval units usually of similar type and consisting of two or more divisions

2. a cavalry unit comprising two or more troops, headquarters, and supporting arms

3. the basic tactical and administrative air force unit comprising two or more flights

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Other Word Forms

• half-squadron noun
• subsquadron noun

Etymology

Origin of squadron

1555–65; < Italian squadrone, equivalent to squadr ( a ) square + -one augmentative suffix

Example Sentences

At the start of the month, Starmer said four additional jets would be sent to Qatar following the deployment of the Royal Air Force's joint UK-Qatari Typhoon squadron in January.

From BBC

He attended test pilot school at Edwards Air Force Base, the site of many daring Armstrong flights and space shuttle landings, then served with the Navy’s Dust Devil test pilot squadron in China Lake, Calif.

From Los Angeles Times

A new space squadron has been activated in the air force.

From The Wall Street Journal

One of his first initiatives was to deploy a new squadron of one-way attack drones copied from a widely used Iranian version, the Shahed-136.

From The Wall Street Journal

Then, he reveals that they’re just one squadron in the never-ending war for liberation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• armada
• battalion
• fleet
• squad