Other forms: platoons
A platoon is a small unit of soldiers led by a lieutenant. A rifle platoon, the platoon advanced, platoon commander.
It is usually about thirty strong and made of three or four sections, and it is the smallest unit with an officer in command — which makes it where most junior officers learn the job. Note that the word comes from the French for a little ball, the same root as pellet and peloton.
1nounplatoonA small unit of soldiers led by a lieutenant.
“The young lieutenant led his platoon across the river at dawn.”
platoon is a military unit.
French peloton means a little ball or group, from pelote, a ball. Pellet and peloton come from the same ball.
Middle French
pelote
French
plauton
English, today
platoon
From obsolete French plauton, variant of peloton, from Middle French pelote + -on. a doublet of peloton. Compare pellet.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA