noun
patrol
puh-TROHL
noun
1
A group of soldiers, police officers, or guards that moves through an area to watch over it or look for trouble.
"A police patrol drove slowly through the neighborhood after dark."
"The border patrol spotted movement near the fence line."
verb
1
To move regularly through an area in order to guard it or check for problems.
"Officers patrol the downtown area on foot during weekend nights."
"Guards patrolled the perimeter of the compound every hour."
How to Use Patrol
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo walk or travel around an area regularly to keep it safe, or the group of people doing that.
Common pairings
police patrol
patrol the streets
on patrol
border patrol
Word Forms
patrolled past tense, patrols plural, patrols singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “patrol”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A police _____ drove slowly through the neighborhood after dark.
Etymology
From French patrouille, originally meaning "a night-watch" or literally "a tramping about," related to patte, "paw" or "foot."