patrol vs squadron

patrol

noun
  • A unit of a troop, usually defined by certain ranks or age groups within the troop, and ideally comprised of six to eight members. 

  • A movement, by a small body of troops beyond the line of outposts, to explore the country and gain intelligence of the enemy's whereabouts. 

  • Any perambulation of a particular line or district to guard it; also, the people thus guarding. 

  • The largest division of officers within a police department or sheriff's office, whose assignment is to patrol and respond to calls for service. 

  • A going of the rounds along the chain of sentinels and between the posts, by a guard, usually consisting of three or four men, to insure greater security from attacks on the outposts. 

  • The guards who go the rounds for observation; a detachment whose duty it is to patrol. 

verb
  • To go the rounds of, as a sentry, guard, or policeman 

  • To go the rounds along a chain of sentinels; to traverse a police district or beat. 

squadron

noun
  • A body of infantrymen made up of several platoons, averaging from eighty to one hundred and fifty men, and led by a captain or a major. 

  • A tactical air force unit; consists of at least two flights; multiple squadrons make up a group or wing (depending on particular air force). 

  • A spaceforce unit; multiple squadrons make up an operations delta or a support garrison. 

  • A detachment of vessels employed on any particular service or station, under the command of the senior officer 

  • A body of cavalry comprising two companies or troops, averaging from one hundred and twenty to two hundred soldiers. 

verb
  • To divide up into squadrons. 

How often have the words patrol and squadron occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )