I. pləˈtün, plaˈ- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French peloton platoon, ball — more at peloton
1.
a. : a small body of military personnel functioning as a unit: as
(1) archaic : a body of men firing together
(2) archaic : a small group drawn up in a hollow square to strengthen the angles of a formation
(3) : a subdivision of a military unit (as a company) that normally consists of a headquarters unit and two or more squads or sections commanded by a lieutenant
b. archaic : a volley of shots
2. : a group of persons sharing some common characteristic or activity
a platoon of waiters
a platoon of potential killers — Martin Levin
as
a. : a squad of a police force working under a platoon system
b. : a squad of paid fire fighters on duty during a single shift
c. : a group (as of students) performing a particular activity at the same time
d. : a group of football players trained especially for either offense or defense and intended to be sent into or withdrawn from the game as a body
3. : a group of things of the same or similar kind existing together or viewed as a unit
platoons of empty bottles
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to arrange in or divide into platoons
the advantages from platooning students in smaller schools
III. noun
: two or more players (as in baseball) who alternate playing the same position
IV. transitive verb
: to alternate (one player) with another player in the same position
if I can't play him every day, I'll platoon him in left field — Leo Durocher
intransitive verb
1. : to alternate with another player in the same position
2. : to use alternate players at the same position