troop

Meanings

Noun

• A collection of people; a number; a multitude (in general).
• A small unit of cavalry or armour commanded by a captain, corresponding to a platoon or company of infantry.
• A detachment of soldiers or police, especially horse artillery, armour, or state troopers.
• A group of soldiers; military forces.
• A company of actors; a troupe.
• A chapter of a national girl or boy scouts organization, consisting of one or more patrols of 6 to 8 youngsters each.
• A group of baboons.
• A group of meerkat families living together.
• A particular roll of the drum; a quick march.
• Mushrooms that are in a close group but not close enough to be called a cluster.

Verb

• To move in numbers; to come or gather in crowds or troops.
• To march on; to go forward in haste.
• To move or march as if in a crowd.

Origin

• Attested in English since 1545, from French troupe (back-formation of troupeau, diminutive of Medieval Latin troppus "flock") and Middle French trouppe (from Old French trope ("band, company, troop")), both of Germanic origin from Frankish *þorp ("assembly, gathering"), from Proto-Germanic *þurpą ("village, land, estate"), from Proto-Indo-European *treb- ("dwelling, settlement").
• troupe, and possibly also of thorp, and dorp. Cognate with German Dorf.