Platoon and Peloton Are the Same French Word
A platoon is a small military unit. The word comes from the French for a little ball, which also gives cycling its peloton.
A platoon is a small unit of soldiers, usually around thirty, led by a lieutenant. The French *peloton* means a little ball or clump, from *pelote*, a ball — and it is exactly the same word cycling uses for the main bunch of riders. One language, two very different clusters of people.
- A small military unit. *A platoon of infantry.*
- A group of people. *A platoon of lawyers.*
- Platoon as a verb in American sport. *The manager platooned the two players.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | platoon | Second platoon. |
| Plural | platoons | Three platoons. |
| Related | squad | A rifle squad. |
| Related | company | An infantry company. |
| Related | peloton | The peloton closed the gap. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The platoon moved out before dawn.Military.
- A platoon of assistants followed him.Figurative, slightly ironic.
- The peloton caught the breakaway.Cycling, the same French word.
Army units, smallest first
- Section or squad — around eight to ten soldiers
- Platoon — three or four sections, about thirty
- Company — three or four platoons, around a hundred
- Battalion — several companies, several hundred
- Regiment or brigade — larger formations again
From French *peloton*, a little ball or knot of men, the diminutive of *pelote*, a ball, from Latin *pila*. English took it in the seventeenth century for a small body of musketeers.
Are platoon and peloton the same word?
Yes. English borrowed the same French word twice, once for soldiers and once, much later, for the bunch in a cycle race.
How many soldiers are in a platoon?
Usually around thirty, though it varies by army and role. It is commanded by a junior officer with a senior non-commissioned officer as second.