From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpatrolpa‧trol1 /pəˈtrəʊl $ -ˈtroʊl/ ●○○ verb (patrolled, patrolling) [transitive] 1 PROTECTto go around the different parts of an area or building at regular times to check that there is no trouble or danger Armed guards patrolled the grounds. an area patrolled by special police units2 THREATENto drive or walk around an area in a threatening way Gangs of youths patrolled the streets at night.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
patrol• He had pulled a hamstring during his warm-up and had done well to patrol as relentlessly as he did for an hour.• He must patrol by night and walk by day.• Brook had been wounded while patrolling on the border.• Brown received much heat for his proposal last month that gang members patrol the 14 Mission line.• Guards with AK47 assault rifles patrol the camp perimeter but there is no need to keep people in.• Riot police patrolled the hotel.• No day went by that did not see Red Hill patrolling the river.• Striking workers armed with steel pipes patrolled the shipyard.• Air raid wardens patrolled the streets to make sure no lights were showing in houses.• Mr Smyth argued that it would place officers in the uncomfortable position of patrolling with colleagues they had once arrested.patrolpatrol2 ●○○ noun 1 [countable, uncountable]PROTECT when someone goes around different parts of an area at regular times to check that there is no trouble or dangeron patrol police on patrol in the city centre The security forces increased their patrols in the area.2 [countable]PMSCP a group of police, soldiers, vehicles, planes etc sent out to search a particular area a US border patrolpatrol boat/car (=used by the army or police)3 [countable]DL a small group of boy scouts or Guides → highway patrolExamples from the Corpus
patrol• From here I watch a patrol of pelicans skim the ocean surface while waves crash against the rocks.• Detecting suspicious activity in the community is where the bike patrol agents come in handy.• the US border patrol• Their pickets were posted too close to camp, and no cavalry patrols were out.• Police have increased patrols in some neighborhoods.• Night patrols were introduced in many districts, and some cattle thieves were caught transporting stolen animals.• They were forced to beat a hasty retreat and arrived at their rendezvous with Morris's patrol on time.• Then further enemy aircraft arrived and bombed and strafed the patrol for several hours.• On the way we met two patrols with machine guns and my escort had to give what I thought was a password.on patrol• Warships on patrol in the Red Sea spotted two enemy jets.patrol boat/car• There will already be a couple of chaps in a patrol car down a side street as a matter of course.• When Lombardy left home about 8 a.m., the detective followed and alerted an officer in a patrol car.• But lifeguards on a patrol boat sent to the area could not locate the whale.• Another had himself chauffeured around in patrol cars.• Consequently, the riders were escorted to the state line where Mississippi patrol cars took over.• Instead they took the kids away in the patrol car and told me to wait.• Despite the protection of the reef, there was sufficient sea running to make the patrol boat roll through sixty degrees.• Their lead over the patrol boat was down to two hundred yards.Origin patrol1 (1600-1700) French patrouiller, from patte “animal's foot” 