Patrol Comes From Tramping Through Mud
To patrol is to move around an area keeping watch. The French original meant to paddle about in mud.
To patrol is to move regularly around an area to maintain security. The origin is unglamorous: Old French *patrouiller* meant to paddle or tramp about in mud, from a word for a paw. Soldiers marching a night watch in wet ground gave the word its military sense, and the mud is still in the etymology if not the job description.
- To keep watch over an area. *Patrol the perimeter.*
- A patrolling group. *A foot patrol.*
- A scouting unit. *A scout patrol.*
- On patrol — carrying out a patrol. *Officers on patrol.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | patrol | Patrol the area. |
| Past | patrolled | They patrolled. |
| Noun | patrol | A night patrol. |
| Person | patrolman | An American patrolman. |
| Related | patrol car | A marked patrol car. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The word originally meant to tramp in mud.French *patrouiller*.
- A scout patrol is a small group.Scouting.
- Patrolled has two Ls.British and American alike.
Kinds of patrol
- Foot patrol — on foot, in a defined area
- Mobile patrol — by vehicle
- Reconnaissance patrol — gathering information
- Fighting patrol — intended to engage
- Neighbourhood watch — a civilian equivalent
From French *patrouiller*, to paddle about in mud, from Old French *patouiller*, from *patte*, a paw.
Where does the word come from?
From a French verb meaning to tramp or paddle about in mud, describing a night watch on wet ground.
Patrolled or patroled?
Patrolled, with two Ls, in both British and American English. The stress on the final syllable requires the doubling.