Meaning & use
platoon
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Meanings
nouncountablemilitary
A military unit of about thirty to fifty soldiers, smaller than a company and usually commanded by a lieutenant.
Grammar: A collective noun: the platoon was ready, or in British usage the platoon were ready.
Patterns
- a platoon of soldiers
- lead a platoon
The lieutenant ordered his platoon to advance up the hill.
A platoon of engineers built the temporary bridge in two days.
Each platoon is divided into several squads.
nouncountableAmerican
A group of police officers, firefighters or workers organized to act together on one task or shift.
Grammar: Used outside the military with a similar sense of an organized squad.
Patterns
- a platoon of something
A platoon of police officers was sent to keep order at the stadium.
The factory ran two platoons, one for each shift.
nouncountablesportAmerican
In American football or baseball, a set of players who take turns playing a position or who play only offense or defense.
Grammar: Common in sports reporting: the offensive platoon.
Patterns
- platoon at a position
The coach used a platoon at catcher, depending on the pitcher.
The defensive platoon jogged onto the field.
Word forms
| plural | platoons |
|---|
Common combinations
- platoon leader
- The platoon leader gave the signal to move out.
- platoon sergeant
- The platoon sergeant checked every pack.
- infantry platoon
- An infantry platoon crossed the river at dawn.
- command a platoon
- At twenty-three, she commanded a platoon in Germany.
- platoon of police
- A platoon of police stood outside the embassy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- squad
- A squad is smaller than a platoon, and a platoon is made up of several squads.
- company
- A company is larger than a platoon and contains several of them.
- unit
- Unit is a general word for any military group, while platoon names a particular size.
- detachment
- A detachment is a group sent away for a special task and may be any size.
Word family
- platooning noun
- using two players alternately at the same position
- platooned verb
- past form of platoon, used for dividing players into groups
- platoon verb
- to divide players or soldiers into platoons
Commonly confused: platoon or battalion?
platoon vs battalion
A battalion is much larger than a platoon: it contains several companies, which contain several platoons.
Practice
In a typical army, which unit is the smallest?
Choose one answer.
A platoon is smaller than a company, and a company is smaller than a battalion or a brigade.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “platoon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.