platoon

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A subdivision of a company of troops consisting of two or more squads or sections and usually commanded by a lieutenant.
2. n. A group of people working, traveling, or assembled together: a platoon of firefighters; buses carrying platoons of tourists.
3. n. Sports A group of players within a team, especially a football team, that is trained and sent into or withdrawn from play as a unit: the defensive platoon.
4. v. To play (a player) in alternation with another player in the same position: platooned the two catchers.
5. v. To use alternate players at the same position.
6. v. To take turns playing a position with another player.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A small body of soldiers or musketeers, drawn out of a battalion of foot to form a hollow square to strengthen the angles of some military formation or position; or, a small body acting together, but separate from the main body.
2. n. A number of soldiers, as large as is convenient for drill, etc., drawn up in two ranks, usually from 15 to 25 in each rank; hence (since a company of infantry is habitually divided into two platoons), half of a company considered as a separate body.

Wiktionary

1. n. military A unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant and forming part of a company.
2. v. baseball To alternate starts with a teammate of opposite handedness, depending on the handedness of the opposing pitcher

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Formerly, a body of men who fired together; also, a small square body of soldiers to strengthen the angles of a hollow square.
2. n. Now, in the United States service, half of a company.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a military unit that is a subdivision of a company; usually has a headquarters and two or more squads; usually commanded by a lieutenant
2. n. a team of policemen working under the military platoon system
3. n. a group of persons who are engaged in a common activity