noun / verb
troop
TROOP/trˈup/
An organized group moving or acting together.
The scout troop moves as a group on its hike.
Etymology
Old French trope meant a band or crowd of people. English first used troop for a body of soldiers, then more broadly for people assembled together; its deeper ancestry is uncertain.
In context
A small troop of mounted bowmen had ridden out of an oak grove upon the left of the road. They trotted up to where the three knights had halted.
More examples
- A troop of soldiers guards the bridge.
- The children troop into the classroom after recess.
- We trooped upstairs to see the new bedroom.
Forms
troop · troops · trooped · trooping
trooper noun — A soldier in a cavalry unit.
Similar words
- squad
- Usually a smaller unit organized for a specific task.
- band
- Emphasizes shared interests or purpose rather than formal organization.
- procession
- Specifically a group moving in an orderly, often ceremonial line.