patrol

1 of 2

noun

pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl How to pronounce patrol (audio)
1
a
: the action of traversing a district or beat or of going the rounds along a chain of guards for observation or the maintenance of security
b
: the person performing such an action
c
: a unit of persons or vehicles employed for reconnaissance, security, or combat
2
: a subdivision of a Boy Scout troop or Girl Scout troop

patrol

2 of 2

verb

patrolled; patrolling

intransitive verb

: to carry out a patrol

transitive verb

: to carry out a patrol of
patroller noun

Examples of patrol in a Sentence

Noun The guard makes a patrol of the building every hour. Soldiers are on patrol along the border. Army patrols combed the area. Verb The squad had orders to patrol the area. The border is patrolled by the army.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And though jurors found both officers liable of violating Johnson’s rights, a Denver police investigation found no policy violations, the officers did not face disciplinary action, and both still work in the patrol division, a police department spokesperson told CNN this week. Holly Yan, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Neither do police in Houston, which only began using the devices in a patrol capacity in February 2023. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The Housing Authority police force patrols areas of public housing in D.C. Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Biden will travel to Brownsville in the Rio Grande Valley to bring attention to his demand that Congress fund more border patrol agents and immigration asylum officers. TIME, 28 Feb. 2024 Black people were brutalized by enslavers and slave patrol during the colonial era. Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Police previously said a Tahoe patrol cruiser was used against the man with the driving officer sustaining minor injuries. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Kansas City police were investigating a two-car crash Friday involving a marked patrol vehicle that sent one officer and two other people to the hospital. Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2024 The havoc wreaked by crashes is made all the more devastating as SUVs become the new standard for patrol vehicles. USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024
Verb
During the ceremony, Oakland County Sheriff's deputies patrolled the area. Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 Other areas are kept safe by patrolling Sardaukar troops. The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Taiwan has a large military garrison on Kinmen, the scene of frequent fighting during the height of the Cold War, but Taiwan’s coast guard patrols its waters. Reuters, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 During the first four months of fiscal year 2024, Border Patrol recorded more than 250,000 migrant apprehensions in the Tucson sector, the most of any region patrolled by the agency, according to federal government statistics. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2024 In Moscow, armed police patrolled the streets to deter protesters. Vadim Smyslov, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024 The county police department has a unit specifically tasked with patrolling the area. David Goodhue and, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024 Blocks away, Karenni Nationalities Defense Force rebels were patrolling streets littered with shell casings and artillery fragments, and the bloated bodies of dead soldiers floated in a canal bordering Loikaw University. Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Air and Marine Operations boats pair with a fleet of helicopters and small planes that patrol from above, equipped with powerful cameras with infrared technology and capable of zooming in to see how many people are on board. David Culver, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patrol.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

French patrouiller, from Middle French, to tramp around in the mud, from patte paw — more at patten

First Known Use

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of patrol was in 1648

Dictionary Entries Near patrol

Cite this Entry

“Patrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrol. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

patrol

1 of 2 noun
pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl How to pronounce patrol (audio)
1
a
: the action of going the rounds of an area for observation or guard
b
: the person or group doing the patrolling
2
: a part of a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop

patrol

2 of 2 verb
patrolled; patrolling
: to carry out a patrol or a patrol of
patroller noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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