▪ I. squadron, n.
(ˈskwɒdrən)
Also 6 squadrone, -onne, 7 Sc. squadroun.
[ad. It. squadrone (f. squadra square), whence also Sp. escuadron, Pg. esquadrão, older F. squadron (scadron) and esquadron (mod.F. escadron).]
I. † 1. Mil. A body of soldiers drawn up or arranged in square formation. Obs.
| 1562 J. Shute tr. Cambini's Turk. War Ep. Ded. *iiij b, There shalbe a squadrone ordered and in the myddest of the same shalbe a voyde space throughoute the squadrone. 1581 Styward Mart. Discipl. ii. 156 The poore Swizers,..not beeing able to furnishe themselues with horse, were the first deuisers of the pike and the Squadronnes. 1616 Bullokar Eng. Expos., Squadron, a square forme in a battell. 1656 Blount Glossogr., Squadron,..a certain number of Soldiers ranged into a square Body or Battalion. This word is most commonly appropriated to Horsmen. |
2. Mil. a. A relatively small body or detachment of men.
| 1579 Digges Stratiot. 91 That euery Squadron or bodie of the watche haue theyr Armour..in readinesse. 1579 Fenton Guicciard. i. (1599) 27 His army contained little lesse then a hundreth squadrons of men at armes, accounting xx. men to a squadron. 1590 Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons 3 b, A squadron of armed men in the field being readie to encounter with another squadron. 1617 Moryson Itin. ii. 66 Leaving his foot in two squadrons of 250 each, himselfe with the horse passed to Dundalke. 1672 Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.) Rehearsal v. (Arb.) 121 To have a long relation of Squadrons here, and Squadrons there: what is that but a dull prolixity? 1720 Pope Iliad xx. 414 Through yon wide host this arm shall scatter fear, And thin the squadrons with my single spear. 1776 Mickle tr. Camoen's Lusiad iii. 111 The mountain ecchoes with the wild affright Of flying squadrons. 1810 Scott Lady of L. i. xxxi, Trump nor pibroch summon here Mustering clans, or squadrons tramping. 1878 B. Taylor Deukalion ii. iii. 68 In one squadron set To fight the world's long battle. |
| fig. 1656 Cowley Pindar. Odes, Plagues Egypt xi, All the full-charg'd clouds in ranged Squadrons move, And fill the spacious Plains above. |
b. spec. A body of cavalry, usually composed of between one and two hundred men.
| 1702 Milit. Dict. (1704), Squadron, a Body of Horse, the number not fixt, but from an hundred to two hundred Men. 1768 Pennant Brit. Zool. I. 3 The enemy was broken through by the impetuous charge of our squadrons. 1832 Regul. & Instr. Cavalry iii. 45 Two or more Squadrons compose a Regiment. Squadrons are called 1st, 2d, 3d, &c., counting from the right of the Regiment. Ibid. 57 March past by Squadrons. 1893 Times 11 July 11/4 The march past followed, first in column of squadrons at a walk,..next at a canter by squadrons. |
3. a. A division of a fleet forming one body under the command of a flag-officer; a detachment of warships told off for some particular duty.
flying squadron: see
flying ppl. a. 4 d.
| 1588 D. Archdeacon tr. True Discourse Army K. Spain 17 Squadron of the Galeons of Portugall. Ibid. 19 There is in this Squadron 12 Vesselles. 1607 Dekker Whore Babylon Wks. 1873 II. 257 In the first Squadron twelue great Galeons Floate like twelue moouing Castles. 1670 R. Lassels Voy. Italy ii. 271 [The kingdom of Naples'] ordinary squadron of gallyes are but 20. 1703 Lond. Gaz. No. 3937/3 He ordered the Captain of the Nonsuch to stretch a-head of the Squadron. 1743 Bulkeley & Cummins Voy. S. Seas 6 We judged this to be Admiral Pizarro's Squadron, sent out in Pursuit of Commodore Anson. 1800 Wellington in Gurw. Desp. (1834) I. 135 The troops destined to sail with the squadron under Admiral Rainier. 1849–50 Alison Hist. Europe V. xxxiii. §17. 494 A squadron of nine sail of the line, four bombs, and five frigates, was despatched to the Sound. 1865 H. Phillips Amer. Paper Curr. II. 91 It was known that a French squadron was coming to America. |
| transf. 1807 J. Barlow Columb. iv. 90 From Tago's bank, from Albion's rocky round, Commercing squadrons o'er the billows bound. ? 1878 B. Harte Man on Beach 13 Low down the horizon still lingered a few white flecks—the flying squadrons of the storm. |
b. Air Force. A small operational unit in an air force, consisting of aircraft and the personnel necessary to fly them.
| 1912 Times 9 May 14/5 A party of officers and non⁓commissioned officers..are to leave the Aviation School at Farnborough on May 15... These will form the nucleus of two flying squadrons of the new Royal Flying Corps. 1919 Daily Mail Year Bk. 46/2 The range of such raiding squadrons..tends to grow constantly from day to day. 1939 [see group n. 3 e]. 1942 T. Rattigan Flare Path i. 26 He was on a week's leave, and we were married before he went back to his Squadron. 1959 [see flight n.1 1 h]. 1978 R. V. Jones Most Secret War xliv. 420 The main point, though, was the esprit de corps, and this was what Hartley had meant with his ‘last squadron in the Air Force’. |
† 4. A squad (of a ship's company).
Obs.| 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. Yng. Seamen 7 Then diuide them into squadrons according to your numbers and burthen of your ship. 1627 ― Seaman's Gram. ix. 38 These are to..doe all duties each halfe, or each squadron for eight Glasses or foure houres which is a watch. |
5. a. A comparatively large group or number of people, etc.; an organized body of persons. Also
const. of.
| 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 116 They say that Christ with the squadrons of the Fathers, passed this way when hee ascended from Hell. 1640 Sir W. Mure Counterbuff 96 That Esterne clyme..Where Squadrons of our Nation did abound. 1684 Contempl. St. Man ii. ii. (1699) 173 The Hallelujahs which..the Squadrons of those blessed Spirits sing. 1713 J. Warder True Amazons 25 They [sc. bees] send forth a Squadron to fetch in Honey. 1792 Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 470 These measures had established corruption in the legislature, where there was a squadron devoted to the nod of the Treasury. 1824 Southey Sir T. More (1831) I. 384 To join one or other of the numerous squadrons of dissent. 1897 M. Kingsley W. Africa 484 The whole district will come, not in a squadron, but just when it suits them. |
b. transf. A multitude
of some thing or things.
| 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. ii. vi. 99 Yet that is false which Fallopius tells us, that a great Squadron of Nerves is spread up and down the Basis of the heart. 1680 Alsop Mischief Imposit. xii. 96 He has..First, a Squadron of Considerations, and secondly, a Pacquet of Advices. 1930 T. S. Eliot tr. St.-J. Perse's Anabasis 39 Squadrons of stars pass the edge of the world. 1978 J. A. Michener Chesapeake 759 What Steed did next, in the late 1950s, was to pension off his field hands and purchase a squadron of gigantic automatic corn harvesters. |
† 6. U.S. A division or ward of a town, community, or district.
Obs.| 1636 in Cent. Dict. s.v. 1671 Town Records, Groton, Mass. (Cent.), Agreed upon by the selectmen for the..calling out of their men to work, that is within their several squadrons. 1749 Town Records, Marlborough, Mass. (Ibid.), A committee of seven men to apportion the school in six societies or squadrons,..taking the northwesterly corner for one squadron. |
7. A body of cardinals hovering between the main factions in a conclave. (
Cf. squadronist.)
| 1670 G. H. Hist. Cardinals ii. ii. 161 He manag'd him⁓self so with his flying Squadron, that it gave no little disgust to the Crowns. 1906 Edin. Rev. Oct. 346 Cardinal de Retz and Cardinal Azzolino were of the squadron. |
8. attrib., as
squadron ball,
squadron form, etc.
squadron commander,
squadron leader,
squadron officer.
| 1862 London Rev. 16 Aug. 139 The squadron which is to go down Channel on the day after the squadron ball. |
| 1907 R. Hermon-Hodge Let. 12 Jan. in R. S. Churchill Winston S. Churchill (1969) II. Compan. i. 640 In reporting on the Regiment in 1905 the GOC remarks ‘I thought the Squadron Commanders exceptionally well qualified for their positions’. 1976 Southern Even. Echo (Southampton) 15 Nov. 9/2 If the junior NCO's are not doing their job properly it does not matter how good the squadron commander is. |
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. ii. 49 When they enter the gates, they must deliuer their weapons to the Corporall of the Squadron company. |
| 1894 Outing Sept. 477/2 These three gentlemen thoroughly understand the handling of a regatta and a squadron cruise. |
| 1592 Kyd Sp. Trag. i. ii. 32 Our battels both were pitcht in squadron forme. |
| 1832 Regul. & Instr. Cavalry ii. 20 The Squadron-Leader advances two horses' lengths. 1919 W. S. Churchill Let. 8 Feb. in M. Gilbert Winston S. Churchill (1977) IV. Compan. i. 517 The ranks in contemplation are as follows:—Air Marshal: Air Commodore: Wing Commander: Squadron Leader: Flight Leader: Flying Officer or Observer. a 1944 K. Douglas Alamein to Zem Zem (1946) ii. 13 He now found himself second in command of a squadron whose squadron leader had been a subaltern under him before. 1972 A. Price Col. Butler's Wolf i. 9 Squadron Leader Roskill is a colleague of mine at the Ministry of Defence. |
| 1796 Instr. & Reg. Cavalry (1813) 230 Some of the squadron flank officers who are otherwise disposed of. 1943 J. R. Williams Aircraftwoman Grey xiii. 146, I have asked Squadron Officer Hedley, the Group Officer, to call and see you. 1971 K. B. Beauman Partners in Blue iv. 72 The Squadron Officer was one of six of this rank appointed on September 27th... She had joined the Directorate in August. |
II. † 9. A right-angled area, figure, etc.; a side of a square.
Obs. Cf. squadrant n. 1.
| 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. 221 They sell the earth within the wall, for so much a squadron. 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke 153/2 About a quar. of a yarde in the squadrone therof. |
† 10. A square parenthesis-mark.
Obs.—1| 1618 Worthington's Anker Christian Doctr. Printer to Rdr. 18 Because the holie Scriptures are very much cited in this Booke, I haue thought it better..to include them within two squadrons []. |
▪ II. ˈsquadron, v. rare.
[f. the n.] trans. To form into, or as into, a squadron or squadrons.
| 1862 D. Gray Luggie, etc. 19 By a furious wind Squadron'd, the hurrying clouds range the roused sky. |