Platoon Meaning
/pləˈtuːn/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant and forming part of a company.
nounA subdivision of a fire company, led by a captain or lieutenant.
Sentence Examples
He's a platoon sergeant.
A platoon has about thirty soldiers.
The bedraggled houses were finally destroyed by the platoon.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The soldiers in the ____ advanced together through the forest under their leader.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of soldiers moved silently through the forest under the cover of darkness.
Word Origin & History
From obsolete French plauton, variant of peloton, from Middle French pelote + -on. Doublet of peloton. Compare pellet.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Needless to say, one's seat must be booked in advance and a platoon of urbane officials, one to each door of the train, awaits passengers to usher them to their seats and relieve them of their bulkier baggage."
— 1960 March, G. Freeman Allen, “Europe's most luxurious express - the "Settebello"”, in Trains Illustrated, page 140:
"You must understand the rules of football in 1939. There was no platooning, so each man played both offense and defense."
— 2014, The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Greatest Moments in Iowa Hawkeyes Football History:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The soldiers in the ____ advanced together through the forest under their leader.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of soldiers moved silently through the forest under the cover of darkness.