patrol

1 of 3

noun (1)

pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl 

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 3

verb

patrolled; patrolling

intransitive verb

: to carry out a patrol

transitive verb

: to carry out a patrol of

patroller noun

patroller

3 of 3

noun (2)

pa·​trol·​ler

-lə(r)

plural -s

: one that patrols : a member of a patrol

Examples of patrol in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Two Dominican Republic Navy patrol boats arrived to help offload the people from the sinking vessel, the Coast Guard said. — David Goodhue october 6, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

The highway patrol’s report does not specify any additional factors that might have contributed to the crash. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026

Verb

Baywatch is, of course, the globally recognizable show about lifeguards patrolling the beaches of LA and Hawaii, which three decades ago made heroes of its stars and creators. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

In January, a CBS Colorado investigation reported that Prince was being paid to patrol in Lakeside while records showed he was also being paid $95 an hour to work security at a nearby Walmart. — Brian Maass, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

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 (1)

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing patrol

• foot patrol
• patrol car
• patrol wagon
• shore patrol
• ski patrol

Rhymes for patrol

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

patrol

1 of 2 noun

pa·​trol pə-ˈtrōl 

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