squad

From French escouade.

• escouade (archaic)

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈskwɒd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈskwɑːd/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

  • Rhymes: -ɒd

squad (plural squads)

1. A group of people organized for some common purpose, usually of about ten members.
2. A unit of tactical military personnel, or of police officers, usually of about ten members.
   • 1912, in The New England magazine, volume 47:

     A squad of soldiers ordered them to disperse but instead of doing so they commenced throwing ice and rocks.

3. (cricket, soccer, rugby) A group of potential players from whom a starting team and substitutes are chosen.
4. (slang) One's friend group, taken collectively; one's peeps.

• firing squad
• flying squad

• squadron

• Appendix:English collective nouns

squad (third-person singular simple present squads, present participle squadding, simple past and past participle squadded)

1. (intransitive) To act as part of, or on behalf of, a squad.

   We squad on the fifth of the month.

Origin

mid 17th century: shortening of French escouade, variant of escadre, from Italian squadra ‘square.’

squad

1. (Britain, dialectal) Sloppy mud.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Tennyson to this entry?)

• quads

squad m (plural squads or squad)

1. squad