squad / skwäd/ • n. [treated as sing. or pl.] a small group of people having a particular task: an assassination squad. ∎  a small number of soldiers assembled for drill or assigned to some special task, esp. an infantry unit forming part of a platoon. ∎  a group of sports players or competitors from which a team is chosen: eleven first-string players on the Nebraska squad. ∎  a division of a police force dealing with a particular crime or type of crime: the narcotics crime squad.

Squad

a small number of individuals engaged in a common task or occupation; a small number of men in a military setting.

Examples : squad of animals, 1857; of authors, 1809; of beaters—Brewer ; of butchers, 1797; of labourers, 1825; of people, 1818; of liveried servants, 1896; of small ships, 1676; of soldiers; of witches, 1830.

squad XVII. Aphetic (after next) — F. escouade, †esquade (XVI), var. of escadre — Sp. escuadra, It. squadra, corr. to F. équerre SQUARE
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