- (n.) See Boy Scout.
- (v.) t To go the rounds of, as a sentry, guard or policeman; as, to patrol a frontier; to patrol a beat.
- (v.i.) Any perambulation of a particular line or district to guard it; also, the men thus guarding; as, a customs patrol; a fire patrol.
- (v.i.) The guard or men who go the rounds for observation; a detachment whose duty it is to patrol.
- (v.i.) A going of the rounds along the chain of sentinels and between the posts, by a guard, usually consisting of three or four men, to insure greater security from attacks on the outposts.
- (v.i.) A movement, by a small body of troops beyond the line of outposts, to explore the country and gain intelligence of the enemy's whereabouts.
- (v.i.) To go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police district or beat.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). patrol. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/patrol/definitions/2042725 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "patrol" http://smartdefine.org/patrol/definitions/2042725 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, patrol, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/patrol/definitions/2042725>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "patrol" 27 May 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/patrol/definitions/2042725> |