troop

[ troop ]

noun

1. an assemblage of persons or things; company; band.

   Synonyms: crowd, group, body

2. a great number or multitude:

   A whole troop of children swarmed through the museum.

   Synonyms: throng, swarm, flock, herd, crowd

3. Military. an armored cavalry or cavalry unit consisting of two or more platoons and a headquarters group.
4. troops, a body of soldiers, police, etc.:

   Mounted troops quelled the riot.

5. a single soldier, police officer, etc.:

   Three troops were killed today by a roadside bomb.

6. a unit of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts usually having a maximum of 32 members under the guidance of an adult leader.
7. a herd, flock, or swarm.
8. Archaic. a band or troupe of actors.

verb (used without object)

1. to gather in a company; flock together.

   Synonyms: collect

2. to come, go, or pass in great numbers; throng.

   Synonyms: swarm

3. to walk, as if in a march; go:

   to troop down to breakfast.

4. to walk, march, or pass in rank or order:

   The students trooped into the auditorium.

5. to associate or consort (usually followed by with ).

verb (used with object)

1. British Military. to carry (the flag or colors) in a ceremonial way before troops.
2. Obsolete. to assemble or form into a troop or troops.

troop

/ truːp /

noun

1. a large group or assembly; flock

   a troop of children

2. a subdivision of a cavalry squadron or artillery battery of about platoon size
3. plural armed forces; soldiers
4. a large group of Scouts comprising several patrols
5. an archaic spelling of troupe

verb

1. intr to gather, move, or march in or as if in a crowd
2. tr military to parade (the colour or flag) ceremonially

   trooping the colour

3. slang.
   tr military (formerly) to report (a serviceman) for a breach of discipline
4. intr an archaic word for consort

Other Words From

• inter·troop adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of troop¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from French troupe, Old French trope, probably back formation from tropel “herd, flock” ( French troupeau ), equivalent to trop- (from Germanic; thorp ) + -el, ultimately from Latin -ellus diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of troop¹

C16: from French troupe , from troupeau flock, of Germanic origin

Synonym Study

See company. Troop, troupe both mean a band, company, or group. Troop has various meanings as indicated in the definitions above. With the spelling troupe the word has the specialized meaning of a company of actors, singers, acrobats, or other performers.

Example Sentences

As for how long Ukrainian troops would be able to hold out in Kursk, the answer was straightforward.

From BBC

They have captured a swathe of land across the north-west of the country, including most of the second city of Aleppo, after the Syrian military rapidly withdrew its troops.

From BBC

In 2009, 156 people were killed after troops opened fire at an opposition rally at a stadium in the capital, Conakry.

From BBC

The atmosphere in Aleppo seems calm after the rout of government troops.

From BBC

The surprise offensive prompted the first Russian strikes on Aleppo since 2016, and saw Syria's military withdraw its troops from the city.

From BBC

Related Words

• association
• band
• cast
• crew
• ensemble
• gang