platoon
platoons
A platoon is a military unit made up of squads. If you’re in a war zone, you might see a platoon of soldiers guarding a checkpoint.
Military branches such as the army, navy, air force, or marines are broken down into smaller groups. One is a platoon, which is part of a company and made up of squads. A platoon usually has its own headquarters and is under the command of a lieutenant. In a war, platoons will be stationed in places according to strategy — the platoon might be attacking or defending. Platoon (1986) is also the name of a war movie about Vietnam.
Definitions of platoon
-
a military unit that is a subdivision of a company; usually has a headquarters and two or more squads; usually commanded by a lieutenant
-
type of:
-
army unit
a military unit that is part of an army
-
army unit
-
a team of policemen working under the military platoon system
-
type of:
-
police squad, squad
a small squad of policemen trained to deal with a particular kind of crime
-
police squad, squad
-
a group of persons who are engaged in a common activity“the defensive platoon of the football team”
-
type of:
-
social group
people sharing some social relation
-
social group
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘platoon'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up platoon for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
