platoon
/pləˈtuːn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.52 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant and forming part of a company.
noun
A subdivision of a fire company, led by a captain or lieutenant.
noun
A group of self-driving vehicles travelling in a close convoy and communicating electronically with each other.
noun
A group of children in the platoon grouping education system.
verb
To alternate starts with a teammate of opposite handedness, depending on the handedness of the opposing pitcher
verb
To specialize in a particular position or playing style.
verb
Of self-driving vehicles: to travel in a close convoy, each vehicle communicating electronically with the others.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "Taylor has been hitting poorly against left-handers, and Morgan has been hitting poorly against right-handers, so they will platoon."
- "You must understand the rules of football in 1939. There was no platooning, so each man played both offense and defense."
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: plauton, pelote
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /pləˈtuːn/