platoon
pronunciation
How to pronounce platoon in British English:
UK [pləˈtu:n]
How to pronounce platoon in American English:
US [pləˈtun]
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- Noun:
- a military unit that is a subdivision of a company; usually has a headquarters and two or more squads; usually commanded by a lieutenant
- a team of policemen working under the military platoon system
- a group of persons who are engaged in a common activity
Word Origin
- platoon
- platoon: [17] Platoon means etymologically ‘little ball’. It comes from French peloton, a diminutive form of pelote ‘ball’ (source of English pellet). The notion of a ‘small ball’ was extended in French to a ‘little cluster of people or group of soldiers’ – hence the meaning of English platoon.=> pellet, pelota
- platoon (n.)
- 1630s, from French peloton "platoon, group of people," from Middle French peloton (15c.), literally "little ball," hence, "agglomeration," diminutive of Old French pelote "ball" (see pellet).
- platoon (v.)
- in baseball, "to alternate (a player) with another in the same position," 1967, from platoon (n.), which had been used in team sports since 1941.
Example
- 1. First platoon on honcho hill was getting hit .
- 2. Did you not understand what I just told you what people did in my platoon ?
- 3. In barcelona a few days ago , volvo demonstrated a platoon of autonomous cars on a motorway .
- 4. The plastic bottles are placed on each antenna as codes to identify the platoon and single vehicles .
- 5. It might have been that november night in 1944 when his rifle platoon took a wrong turn in a small wood in alsace .