squad
UK: skwɒd | US: skwɑːd
n. a small group of people engaged in a shared task, especially in military or sports contexts
n. (informal) a close-knit group of friends
The word "squad" originated in the 16th century from Italian squadra (a square), referring to a military unit arranged in a square formation. Over time, it generalized to any small, organized group, retaining its core idea of cohesion. The morpheme "squ" preserves the geometric logic of its Latin root, while "ad" reinforces the collective meaning.
The police squad quickly secured the area.
He joined a squad of elite soldiers during training.
Our study squad meets every Wednesday to review notes.
The football coach divided the players into practice squads.
She’s part of a creative squad that designs posters for events.