squad - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From French escouade, from Italian squadra (“square”) (whence also French escadre). Doublet of squadra and square.

squad (plural squads)

  1. 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.
    1. A unit of tactical military personnel, or of police officers, usually of about ten members.
      • 1912, 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.
    2. (cricket, soccer, rugby) A group of potential players from whom a starting team and substitutes are chosen.
    3. (informal) A collective noun for a group of squid.
      • 1970, TV Guide, volume 18:
        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, […]
      • 2002, Let's Go Inc., Let's Go 2003: Britain & Ireland, Let's Go Publications:
        The Sea Life Centre retains a squad of squid and such.
      • 2012, S. Louis King, Gnome Home Papers, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 546:
        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 thing though.
      • 2017, Kristen Joy Wilks, Athens Ambuscade, Pelican Ventures Book Group, →ISBN:
        I pulled in as deep a breath as my gag allowed and began relaxing my body. I used a little trick I'd learned in college. I imagined that a friendly squad of squid were massaging every muscle on the bottoms of my feet; the tension began to drain.
  2. (firefighting) Ellipsis of squad truck.
  3. (slang) One's friend group, taken collectively; one's peeps.

small group of people organized for a purpose

unit of tactical military personnel or police officers

sports team

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.
  2. (transitive, US, medical slang) To transport by ambulance.

Uncertain. Compare squick (“disgust”), squalid (“dirty”) with similar initial sounds.

squad

  1. (UK, dialect) Sloppy mud. [from mid-17th c.]
    • 1875 March 13, Leicester Chronicle, quoted in the EDD:
      The lass ran all among the muck and squad.
    • 1895, Alfred Tennyson, The Poetical Works of Alfred Tennyson: Poet-laureate, page 791:
      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.

squad m (plural squads or **squad)

  1. squad