troop
/truːp
/noun
1 (troops) Soldiers or armed forces: UN peacekeeping troops (as modifier troop) troop cuts...
- The Armed Forces and other troops need officers with a university degree and a higher military education.
- Five flags will be issued to all enlisted soldiers, with deploying troops having priority.
- Those troops - mainly soldiers - have paid the ultimate price for their country.
Synonyms
soldiers, armed forces, service men, men, service women;
the services, the army, the military, soldiery
2A cavalry unit commanded by a captain.From the 16th century the troop, a captain's command, was the basic subunit in the cavalry....
- The unit conducting this mission was a standard regimental armored cavalry troop of the early 1990s era.
- The cavalry troop headquarters would include requisite maintenance, command and control, and liaison capabilities.
2.1A unit of artillery and armoured formation.There, the infantry and the armour troops had been doing the same task....
- Despite being a novice at commanding armoured units, he quickly grasped the great potential of mechanised and armoured troops.
- The video started with an advancing troop of soldiers who fanned out across an open plain that offered only the protection of the few trees and old stone properties.
2.2A group of three or more Scout patrols.And then he was gone, following the Scout troop....
- A scout troop with a proud history has been told to raise £100,000 or face extinction.
- Matt has been a member of the scout troop for five years.
3A group of people or animals of a particular kind: a troop of musicians...
- A troop of secret agents in identical suits, sunglasses and wigs circulated as a group throughout the evening.
- Japanese macaque studies began in 1948 when scientists visiting the southern Japanese island of Koshima, encountered a troop of wild monkeys.
- Later, they will be entertained by The Chieftains and a troop of Irish dancers who will perform in a massive marquee which has been erected on the castle lawns.
Synonyms
group, party, band, gang, bevy, body, company, troupe, assemblage, gathering, crowd, throng, horde, pack, drove, flock, swarm, stream, multitude, host, army, cohort;
mob;
corps, contingent, squad, detachment, unit, detail, patrol
informal bunch, gaggle, crew, posse, load
verb [no object, with adverbial of direction]
1(Of a group of people) come or go together or in large numbers: the girls trooped in for dinner...
- A group of kids trooped in and stood near the door.
- As the group was trooping together up the staircase to their rooms, Josh looked over at Katie.
- The three of us trooped off together to get outfitted at a mid-town haberdashery.
Synonyms
walk, march, file, straggle;
flock, crowd, throng, stream, swarm, surge, spill
1.1(Of a lone person) walk at a slow or steady pace: Caroline trooped wearily home from work...
- By the time he was trooping back for the second half, news had filtered through that Middlesbrough were 2-0 up at Leicester.
- Neighbours saw a 44 year old bloke trooping about with a guitar; police were called and now the bloke is in a local hospital under the mental health act.
- Anyway, having spent the day at home doing various little jobs and waiting for some furniture to be delivered, I duly trooped down to London late afternoon and got to The Chandos before anyone else.
Synonyms
trudge, plod, traipse, trail, drag oneself, tramp
North American informal schlep
Phrases
troop the colour
Origin
Mid 16th century: from French troupe, back-formation from troupeau, diminutive of medieval Latin troppus 'flock', probably of Germanic origin.
Troop is from French troupe, formed from troupeau, a diminutive of medieval Latin troppus ‘flock’, probably of Germanic origin.