patrol

The word “patrol” means a group of soldiers, police officers, or guards that moves through an area to watch over it or look for trouble. In plain terms, to walk or travel around an area regularly to keep it safe, or the group of people doing that.

“Patrol” is pronounced puh-TROHL (/pəˈtɹoʊl/ in IPA).

Here is “patrol” used in a sentence: “A police patrol drove slowly through the neighborhood after dark.”

Depending on how it is used, “patrol” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “patrol” comes from French. From French patrouille, originally meaning "a night-watch" or literally "a tramping about," related to patte, "paw" or "foot.".

“Patrol” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Patrol” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a group of soldiers, police officers, or guards that moves through an area to watch over it or look for trouble.

To patrol is to move regularly through an area in order to watch over it or check for problems, so it involves movement over a route. To guard usually means to stay in one place and protect a specific person, building, or object.

As a noun, a patrol is the group of soldiers, police officers, or guards that moves through an area to watch over it. As a verb, to patrol is the act those people perform, moving regularly through the area to guard it or look for trouble.

Patrol frequently appears in phrases such as on patrol, patrol car, border patrol, and highway patrol. These reflect its core meaning of moving through an area to watch over it and check for problems.

To patrol involves physically moving through an area to guard it and look for trouble. To monitor is broader and often done from a fixed point, watching or checking something over time, which can include using cameras or instruments rather than walking a route.