/ˈskwɒd/, /ˈskwɑd/
OriginFrom French escouade, from Italian squadra (“square”) (whence also French escadre). Doublet of squadra and square.
- A group of people organized for some common purpose, usually of about ten members.
“He assembled a squad of ten to take on the assassin.”
- A unit of tactical military personnel, or of police officers, usually of about ten members.
“A squad of soldiers ordered them to disperse but instead of doing so they commenced throwing ice and rocks.”
- A group of potential players from whom a starting team and substitutes are chosen.
- informalA collective noun for a group of squid.
“At one point, the 400-ton Calypso was brought to a standstill by a squad of squid which clogged the engines and caused a power failure. Other, highlights included an attack by predatory blue sharks, [”
“The Sea Life Centre retains a squad of squid and such.”
“There's several new symbols next to the doorway symbol. Beso pushed all six of them without waiting to see what they brought; like a herd of charging rhinos or rampaging squad of squid. Next best thin”
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisEllipsis of squad truck.
- slangOne's friend group, taken collectively; one's peeps.
“anyway, sheʼs resigned herself to hanging out with the squad at uni rather than going manhunting”
- UK, dialectalSloppy mud.
“The lass ran all among the muck and squad.”
“An' she did n't not solidly mean I wur / gawin' that waäy to the bad,
Fur the gell was as howry a trollope as / iver traäpes'd i' the squad.”
- intransitiveTo act as part of, or on behalf of, a squad.
“We squad on the fifth of the month.”
- US, transitiveTo transport by ambulance.
- USAn informal group of left-wing Democrats in the House of Representatives.
“Squad members and their allies may also have to contend with pro-Israel Super Pacs and dark-money groups spending tens of millions of dollars on attack ads in a bid to unseat them. […] “A lot of us ha”
- informalAn informal military alliance between the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines, focused on Asian security matters.
- broadlyA grouping of the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines.
Formssquads(plural) · escouade(alternative) · squads(present, singular, third-person) · squadding(participle, present) · squadded(participle, past) · squadded(past) · the Squad(canonical)