Patrol vs Nimrod - What's the difference?

patrol | nimrod |


As nouns the difference between patrol and nimrod

is that patrol is (military) 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 while nimrod is (chiefly|us|informal|pejorative) a silly or foolish person; an idiot.

As a verb patrol

is to go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police district or beat.

patrol

English

(Webster 1913)

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) patrouille, from (etyl) patrouille, . Related to (l), (l).

Noun

(en noun)
  • (military) 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.
  • (military) 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.
  • (military) The guard or men who go the rounds for observation; a detachment whose duty it is to patrol.
  • Any perambulation of a particular line or district to guard it; also, the men thus guarding; as, a customs patrol; a fire patrol.
  • * (rfdate) A. Hamilton:
    • In France there is an army of patrols to secure her fiscal regulations.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-24, volume=408, issue=8850, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Boots on the street , passage=Philadelphia’s foot-patrol' strategy was developed after a study in 2009 by criminologists from Temple University, which is in the 22nd district. A randomised trial overturned the conventional view that foot ' patrols make locals like the police more and fear crime less, but do not actually reduce crime. In targeted areas, violent crime decreased by 23%.}}
  • (Scouting) A unit of a troop, typically composed of around eight boys.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) patrouiller, from (etyl)

    Verb

    (patroll)
  • To go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police district or beat.
  • To go the rounds of, as a sentry, guard, or policeman; as, to patrol a frontier; to patrol a beat.

    • External links

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    Anagrams

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    nimrod

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly, US, informal, pejorative) A silly or foolish person; An idiot.
    • Don't stick your fingers in the fan, you nimrod !

    Synonyms

    * (pejorative term meaning idiot ): doofus, fathead, lamebrain, numbskull * See also

    References

    * What exactly is a Nimrod? * The American Heritage Dictionary – nimrod English eponyms