▪ I. patrol, n.
(pəˈtrəʊl)
Also 7–9 patrole, (7 petrol(l), 8 patrouille, petrouille, -oville, padrole, patroll, patroul.
[a. F. patrouille (1539 in R. Estienne, 1611 in Cotgr. ‘a still night-watch in warre: faire la patrouille, to be driuen to linger, and spend his time idly, as one thats forced to watch’), vbl. n. from patrouiller: see next. Hence, also It. pattuglia, Sp. patrulla, Pg. patrulha; Du. patrouille, Ger. patrolle, Da. patrol, Sw. patrull, Russ. patr{uacu}l{supi}. In Eng., as app. in some of the other langs., the n. appears before the vb.]
1. a. The action of going the rounds of a garrison, camp, etc. for the purpose of watching, guarding, and checking irregularity or disorder; the perambulation of a city, town, or district by a police constable or detachment of police for the protection of life and property.
| 1664 Butler Hud. ii. iii. 801 These consecrated Geese in Orders,..being then upon Petroll, With noise alone beat off the Gaul. 1693 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) III. 245 His majestie has ordered a nightly patrole. 1708 Lond. Gaz. No. 4419/5 The Dragoons..kept Patroles all Night. a 1734 North Exam. iii. vii. §98 (1740) 580 The Sherriffs..rode the Petroville about the City almost all Night, and no one attempted to make a Bonefire. 1833 H. Martineau Loom & Lugger i. v. 91 You are dreading your patrol to-night because it is beginning to snow. 1849 James Woodman xv, The same vigilant patrol was kept up. |
b. fig. and
transf.| 1727–46 Thomson Summer 1605 Send forth the saving virtues round the land In bright patrol. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. II. 23 The fox is loth to 'gin a long patrole. 1883 B. Harte Carquinez Woods iii. 61 Mr. Brace had begun his fruitless patrol of the main street. |
c. A reconnaissance flight by military aircraft.
| 1917 Flying 19 Dec. 347/3 A low patrol over the Fleet was carried out by three Flight-Lieutenants in Sopwith machines, during which they encountered and attacked a number of hostile craft. 1957 Economist 7 Dec. 836/2 To guard against surprise attack, bombers flying on patrol from Britain carry hydrogen bombs. |
2. ‘Those that go the rounds’ (J.); a detachment of the guard told off for the purposes above mentioned; also, a police constable, or a detachment of such, told off to the beat of a particular district for its protection, the prevention of disorder, etc.
| 1670 G. H. tr. Hist. Cardinals iii. ii. 289 He sends Petrols of Souldiers constantly about. 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn. I, Patrouille, or Patroul as we generally pronounce it, is a Round of Soldiers, to the Number of Five or Six, with a Serjeant to command them. 1800 Asiat. Ann. Reg., Misc. Tr. 229/2 The patrole of the city consists of 12,000 men, who receive a daily allowance of one fanam each. 1826 Times 5 Jan., ‘This here man’ (pointing to the patrol),..‘has told a false affidavit’. 1868 Regul. & Ord. Army ¶903 Regiments encamped near villages are to send frequent patrols into them, to apprehend any Soldiers who may be there. |
3. a. A detachment of troops sent out in advance of a column, regiment, etc., to reconnoitre the country and to gain information of the presence and movements of the enemy.
| 1702 Lond. Gaz. No. 3825/1 One of our Parties met with their Patrole near Pradella. 1710 Ibid. No. 4719/2 Our Patrouilles met with two of the Enemy's Parties. 1799 Instr. & Reg. Cavalry (1813) 273 Patroles must examine all villages, hollow ways and woods, that lie in the direction of their march, taking care to reconnoitre from the heights, the country below. 1827 Southey Hist. Penins. War II. 513 The French pushed their patroles of cavalry near the town. 1853 Stocqueler Mil. Encycl. s.v., Patrols are also sent out to gain intelligence of the position and force of an enemy. |
b. A unit of scouts or guides consisting of from six to eight members.
| 1908 R. S. S. Baden-Powell Scouting for Boys 22 A troop consists of not less than three patrols... A patrol consists of six scouts. 1908 Scout 18 Apr. 20/2 Several patrols together can form a ‘Troop’ under an officer called a Scout-master. 1917 R. E. Philipps Patrol System ii. 13 Here is the Patrol, consisting of six, seven, or eight boys. 1946 C. Christian Seventh Magpie xix. 216 Her bulging haversack bumping against her, to the extreme peril of the patrol milk supply she was carrying. 1974 Policy, Organisation & Rules of Scout Assoc. (ed. 3) 124 The Troop is composed of Patrols, each consisting of six to eight Scouts, including the Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader. 1977 Guider July 315/2 Estimated publication date is 1st September 1977, so you need to tell your Patrols about it now and encourage them to have a money-raising effort during the school holidays. |
4. attrib. and
Comb., as
patrol boat,
patrol box,
patrol-craft,
patrol duty,
patrol flotilla,
patrol jacket,
patrol system,
patrol tent,
patrol vessel,
patrol watch;
patrol car, a motor car employed by the police on patrol;
patrol leader, (
a) the boy scout in charge of a patrol (sense 3 b); (
b) the leader of a military patrol;
patrol officer, a representative of the Australian government in Papua New Guinea;
patrol-wagon,
N. Amer. (
a) a wagon in which the police convey prisoners, a prison-van; (
b) ‘a light open wagon used by the underwriters' patrol in hastening to fires to protect insured goods’ (Funk 1895). Also
patrolman.
| 1892 Welsh Rev. I. 724 A solution..would be for certain ranges to be kept clear by official patrol boats. |
| 1931 Chicago Police Problems v. 88 Each district normally has two small patrol cars. 1951 A. Martienssen Crime & Police iv. 49 In the Aberdeen system, the patrol cars and the beat constables have been formed into teams. 1967 N. Lucas C.I.D. vi. 70 The Information Room put out an all car call for any disengaged patrols to join in the pursuit of the stolen Rover. Five patrol cars responded to the call. 1977 ‘E. McBain’ Long Time no See i. 9 A radio motor patrol car was angle-parked into the curb. |
| 1930 Times Lit. Suppl. 9 May 379/2 Officers who served in the French mine-sweepers and patrol-craft during the War. |
| 1900 Westm. Gaz. 29 Nov. 11/2 Some gendarmes on patrol duty. |
| 1908 Scout 18 Apr. 20/2 One boy is then chosen as Patrol Leader to command the patrol. 1918 E. S. Farrow Dict. Mil. Terms 438 Patrol leaders. 1929 E. K. Wade Twenty-One Years of Scouting vi. 193 Patrol leaders have taken closer command of their Patrols. 1973 Guardian 11 Apr. 11/4 One of my best friends used to be a patrol leader. 1977 M. Jancath Seatag ii. i. 63 He rifled through the files... ‘Dishonourable discharge..Patrol leader Aden.’ |
| 1924 ‘R. Daly’ Outpost i. ii. ‘In my district,’ put in Jessel amiably, ‘there's a regulation that no patrol-officer shall be a married man.’ 1935 Discovery Nov. 346/1 Local conditions fully justify the title of knights errant to the patrol officers and other members of the administration of Papua. 1964 Mod. Encycl. Austral. & N.Z. 790/1 Districts are divided into sub-districts in charge of an Assistant District Officer (A.D.O.), who has assistance from Patrol Officers (P.O.). |
| 1880 A. W. Tourgée Fool's Errand ii. xii. 507 The old ‘patrol’ system of the ante⁓bellum days..was also one of the active causes of the rapid spread of the Klan. 1966 Listener 20 Oct. 571/1 Baden-Powell..dreamed up the patrol system: autonomous groups of boys, whose leaders plan the troop programme together with the scoutmaster. |
| 1849 E. E. Napier Excurs. S. Africa II. 67 These patrole tents..made of light canvas,..weighed about twenty five pounds. |
| 1898 Westm. Gaz. 28 May 1/3 For the protection of her coasts.., America will depend mainly upon her monitors and emergency patrol vessels. |
| 1887 Courier-Jrnl. (Louisville, Kentucky) 22 Jan. 3/5 The patrol wagon, filled with officers, was driven to the place at a breakneck speed. 1899 Atlantic Monthly LXXXIII. 770/1 With clamor of urgent gong, the patrol wagon rounds the corner, carrying two policemen. 1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 5 Apr. 7/1 Dr. Tomalin was called and attended to the unfortunate man and Sergeant Blackstock and Constable Walton attended with the patrol wagon and removed him to the Jubilee Hospital. 1974 Amer. Speech 1971 XLVI. 78 Large police van: paddy wagon, van, Black Maria, patrol wagon, patrol. |
| 1810 Boston (Registry Dept.) Records (1904) 33rd Rep. 426 Return of the patrole watch read. 1821 Ibid. (1909) 39th Rep. 227 Granting permission for private patrole watches. |
▪ II. patrol, v. (
pəˈtrəʊl)
Infl. patrolled,
-olling. Forms: 7–8
patroll, 7–
patrol, (8
-rouille,
roul, 8–9
-role).
[a. F. patrouill-er, in same sense, orig. to paddle or puddle in the mud, altered from earlier patouiller ‘to padle, or dable in with the feet, to stirre vp and downe, and trouble, or make foule, by stirring’ (Cotgr.): cf. OF. patoueil pool, puddle, mire (1473 in Godef.), mod.F. dial. patrouil mire; also patouillas ‘a plash or puddle’ (Cotgr.), mod.F. dial. patouillat a puddle or pool in the road. The military use (already in Cotgr. in patrouille n.) was prob. at first a piece of French camp slang, patrolling consisting often of tramping through mire and wet. After its recognition, it passed into most of the western langs., Sp. patrullar, Pg. patrulhar, It. pattugliare; Du. patrouilleeren, Ger. patrouill-, patrolliren, Da. patrollere, Sw. patrullera.] 1. a. intr. ‘To go the rounds in a camp or garrison’ (J.); to go on patrol, to act as patrol; to reconnoitre as a patrol.
b. To traverse on duty a particular beat or district as constable or patrolman.
| 1691 Lond. Gaz. No. 2702/2 They lay there undiscovered till..a Trooper that was Patrolling first saw them. 1701 Ibid. No. 3722/1 Several Boats with Soldiers were ordered to Patroul on the River. 1709 E. Ward tr. Cervantes 219 They..left him to take his rest with Martinez and twelve Men to Patrouille about. 1777 Robertson Hist. Amer. II. vii. 284 The appointment of a considerable number of persons..to patrole as watchmen during the night. 1832 W. Irving Alhambra II. 57 Numbers of armed guards patrolled around them. 1855 Carlyle Misc., Prinzenraub (1857) IV. 360 Patrolled-over by mere irrational monsters. 1867 M. E. Herbert Cradle L. viii. 215 Finding the Europeans on the alert, and the native guard valiantly patrolling and shouting out their national war-cries. 1940 [see dive-bomb vb. s.v. dive v.]. |
c. transf. and
fig.| 1791 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Magpie & Robin 17 Leaving behind their bodies for rich mould, That pliable from form to form patroles, Making fresh houses for new souls. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 94 The labouring mice To sheltering hedge and wood patrole. |
2. trans. To go over or round (a camp, garrison, town, harbour, etc.) for the purpose of watching, guarding, or protecting; to perambulate or traverse (a beat or district) as constable or patrolman; to traverse leisurely in all directions.
| 1765 R. Rogers Jrnls. (1883) 80 We were continually employed in patrolling the woods between this fort and Ticonderoga. 1798 Ferriar Illustr. Sterne, etc., Eng. Hist. 241 A strong body of horse patroled the streets. 1822 W. Irving Braceb. Hall xx. 171 Christy often patrols the park with his dogs. 1885 Manch. Exam. 12 May 5/1 Armed boats will be provided for patrolling the Nile. |
Hence
paˈtrolled ppl. a.,
paˈtrolling vbl. n. and ppl. a.| 1758 Ld. Sackville Let. to Ld. Egremont 12 Oct. in Pearson's Catal. (1900) 68 We have detached Posts all along the Lippe,..and even Patroling Parties as far to our right as Bentheim. 1847 Infantry Man. (1854) 105 Silence [is] indispensable in patrolling. 1887 Pall Mall G. 26 Jan. 9/1 A patrolling policeman heard cries for help. 1903 Daily Chron. 11 Feb. 3/5 A few yards away was the busy and patrolled Strand. |