patrol
/pəˈtrəʊl
/noun
1An expedition to keep watch over an area, especially by guards or police walking or driving around at regular intervals: we were ordered to investigate on a night patrol...
- He said the heightened joint police/army patrols and regular helicopter surveillance in the area was a contributing factor to the decline in criminal activity.
- Security is maintained at the crematorium and regular patrols take place at night but it does not merit a CCTV system.
- We work closely with the police who do regular patrols and take alcohol off kids found drinking.
Synonyms
vigil, guard, watch, monitoring, policing, beat, beat-pounding, patrolling, round, sentry duty;
reconnoitre, surveillance, survey, examination
informal recce
1.1A person or group of people sent to keep watch over an area: a police patrol stopped the man and searched him...
- Extra police patrols were also sent out adding thousands to the wages bill.
- More police foot patrols will be sent on to the streets at pub chucking-out time in a bid to cut violent crime.
- It meant extra patrols had to be sent out and police stations kept open 24 hours a day.
1.2 [mass noun] The action of keeping watch over an area: the police were on patrol when they were ordered to investigate the incident...
- On August 31, two U.S. solders were killed and a third wounded in the same area while on patrol.
- It is understood a beach party was in full swing at the time and gardaí were on patrol in the area.
- Imagine you are a sergeant taking a platoon of soldiers on patrol through rugged northern Australia.
1.3A routine operational voyage of a ship or aircraft: a submarine patrol...
- Three days later she sailed from Darwin to conduct routine patrols of Australia's northern waters and enforce the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone.
- Apart from patrols at sea the ship has seen a number of significant events whilst on deployment.
- During World War Two she served with the US Navy on anti-submarine patrols, convoy escort and even as the flagship of an amphibious assault group.
Synonyms
patrolman/patrolwoman, sentinel, sentry, garrison, defender;
detail, scout, scouting party, task force, escort, convoy
1.4British An official who controls traffic where children cross the road: there were two schools but no crossing patrol...
- In areas where there was a pedestrian crossing, crossing patrols weren't replaced so we didn't get one.
- It was observed that when the girls see the patrols they cross the road and when the officers are gone they cross back over to the beach.
- But parents were clamouring to get crossing patrols near their schools and the Commissioner was having difficulty finding people for the job.
2A unit of six to eight Scouts or Guides forming part of a troop: break the Cubs into sixes and Scouts into patrols...
- Boys around the UK read ‘Scouting for Boys’ and spontaneously started to form scout patrols.
verb (patrols, patrolling, patrolled) [with object]
Keep watch over (an area) by regularly walking or travelling around it: the garrison had to patrol the streets to maintain order [no object]: pairs of men were patrolling on each side of the thoroughfare...
- Two police officers patrolling the lot walked by a motor vehicle with two front seat occupants.
- The area is patrolled regularly by both the divisional traffic unit and the district detective branch.
- Police patrolled the area along the beachfront with other bomb detection devices.
Synonyms
keep guard (on), guard, keep watch (on);
police, walk the beat (of), pound the beat (of), make the rounds (of), walk along/round, range (over), perform sentry duty (on);
picket, stand guard (over), keep a vigil (on), keep a lookout (over), cover, monitor, defend, safeguard;
cruise, pound, prowl, rove, roam
Derivatives
patroller
- The average team of patrollers will include a sergeant, six police constables and 12 traffic wardens and Community Support Officers.
- Militia officials would select patrollers from each district's rolls to serve for designated periods.
- Anyway, my father, long term wild life patroller, informed us that the rabbits were chewing away at the bark of our trees.
Origin
Mid 17th century (as a noun): from German Patrolle, from French patrouille, from patrouiller 'paddle in mud', from patte 'paw' + dialect (gad)rouille 'dirty water'.
The unpleasant side of military life is brought to the fore by patrol. It comes, via German, from French patrouille, from patrouiller ‘paddle in mud’. This in turn was formed from patte ‘paw’ and dialect (gad)rouille ‘dirty water’.
Rhymes
- in the raw
- in the region of
- in the rough
- in the round
- in the saddle
- in the same (or next) breath
- in the second place
- in the sequel
- in the shape of
- in the shit
- in the short run (or term)
- in the soup
- in the swim
- in the teeth of
- in the throes of
- in the train of
- in the wake of
- in the wash
- in the way of
- in the whole (wide) world
- in the wings
- in the wink of an eye (or in a wink)
- in the works
- in the world
- in the wrong