platoon

From obsolete French plauton, variant of peloton, from Middle French pelote + -on. Doublet of peloton. Compare pellet.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pləˈtuːn/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːn

platoon (plural platoons)

1. (military) A unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant and forming part of a company.
   • 1960 March, G. Freeman Allen, “Europe's most luxurious express - the "Settebello"”, in Trains Illustrated, page 140:

     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.

2. A group of self-driving vehicles travelling in a close convoy and communicating electronically with each other.
3. (education, historical) A group of children in the platoon grouping education system.

platoon (third-person singular simple present platoons, present participle platooning, simple past and past participle platooned)

1. (baseball) To alternate starts with a teammate of opposite handedness, depending on the handedness of the opposing pitcher

   Taylor has been hitting poorly against left-handers, and Morgan has been hitting poorly against right-handers, so they will platoon.

2. (sports) To specialize in a particular position or playing style.
   • 2014, The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Greatest Moments in Iowa Hawkeyes Football History:

     You must understand the rules of football in 1939. There was no platooning, so each man played both offense and defense.

3. Of self-driving vehicles: to travel in a close convoy, each vehicle communicating electronically with the others.

• platoon system