Troop v.

[f. prec. sb.]

  1.  intr. To gather in a company; to come together; to flock, assemble.

1565.  Cooper, Thesaurus, Agglomero,… to prease or gather thicke to gether, as souldiours doe: to trowpe.

1588.  Shaks., Tit. A., II. i. 113. There will the louely Roman Ladies troope.

1604.  E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, IV. xxxiii. 300. These wilde kine have so multiplied … that they troupe together in the fields and woods by thousands.

1667.  Milton, P. L., VII. 297. As Armies at the call Of Trumpet … Troop to thir Standard.

1795.  Burke, Lett. to W. Elliot, Wks. 1842, II. 244. Multitudes, hardly thought to be in existence, would appear, and troop about him.

1799–1805.  Wordsw., Prelude, V. 260. She left us destitute, and, as we might, Trooping together.

  † 2.  a. trans. To gather or assemble (individuals) into a troop or company. Also refl. To associate or consort with a number of others, to go in company. Obs.

c. 1590.  Greene, Fr. Bacon, vii. 3. The king … trooped with all the western kings That lie alongst the Dantzic seas by east. Ibid., xii. 16. I came not, troop’d with all this warlike train. Ibid. (1590), Orl. Fur., Wks. (Rtldg.), 91/2. I vow … To troop myself with such a crew of men As [etc.].

1620.  [G. Brydges], Horæ Subs., 410. Amongst some of them hee should troope himselfe.

  b.  intr. To associate with.

1592.  Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. v. 50. So shewes a Snowy Doue trooping with Crowes, As yonder Lady ore her fellowes showes. Ibid. (1605), Lear, I. i. 134. All the large effects That troope with Maiesty.

1864.  Lowell, Fireside Trav., 195. The descendants of Sabine pigeons … trooping with noisy rooks and daws.

1880.  Kinglake, Crimea, VI. ix. 299. He would troop with the accusing throng.

  3.  intr. To walk, go, pass; colloq. (with off, away, etc.) to go away, ‘be off,’ ‘pack.’ Cf. MARCH v.² 2.

1590.  Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 382. And yonder shines Auroras harbinger; At whose approach Ghosts wandring here and there, Troope home to Church-yards.

1700.  T. Brown, Amusem. Ser. & Com., 32. I thought ’twas Time to troop off to an Eating-House.

1708.  Mrs. Centlivre, Busie Body, IV. ii. Get out of my house—go troop.

1782.  Eliz. Blower, Geo. Bateman, I. 147. Pack up your cloaths, Miss Pert, for … you shall troop from hence to-morrow.

1860.  G. Meredith, Evan Harrington, xlv. The place is ours till we troop.

  4.  intr. To march in rank; to walk or pass in order. Also fig. Now somewhat colloq.

1592.  Wyrley, Armorie, 148. Now close to troupe, then goodly to deraine.

1598.  Barret, Theor. Warres, III. ii. 70. Sundry small troupes, trouping round about the battell.

1635.  Barriffe, Mil. Discip., lxxiii. (1643), 199. Those files which formerly gave fire in the meane time trooping backe.

1682.  H. Aldrich, Upon Christ Church Bells Oxf. Y^e verger troops before y^e Deane.

1698.  Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 130. My Indians … trouped by three or four wretched Towns.

1820.  W. Irving, Sketch Bk., I. 63 (R. van Winkle). He was generally seen trooping like a colt, at his mother’s heels.

1883.  S. C. Hall, Retrospect, II. 40. The days … trooped forward as peacefully as … the soft white clouds.

1893.  Nation (N. Y.), 22 June, 453/2. As the spring months troop by, they bring a succession of fruits.

  b.  trans. To cause to march in a troop.

1872.  T. Cooper, Life, 238. At six we were trooped off.

  5.  intr. To come or go in great numbers; to pass in flocks or troops; to flock (in, out, etc.).

1610.  Bolton, Elem. Armories, 51. The rest of proofes which troup-vp close to their quarter,… who can but embrace?

1629.  Milton, Christ’s Nativity, Hymn, xxvi. The flocking shadows pale Troop to th’ infernall jail.

1784.  Cowper, Task, V. 61. Now from the roost … Come trooping at the house-wife’s well-known call The feather’d tribes domestic.

1862.  Mrs. H. Wood, Mrs. Hallib., I. xiv. All the children trooped in at once.

1910.  A. M. Fairbairn, Stud. Relig. & Theol., II. VIII. iii. 519. The address delivered, the Jews trooped out of the synagogue.

  6.  trans. (Mil.) To troop the colour (or colours): to perform that portion of the ceremonial known as Mounting of the Guard in which the colour is received. Also absol.

  The first Standing Order on the subject (but not containing the word) is dated May 1755; but the appellation may date back to Marlborough’s time, as it is known that there were Campaign orders on the subject of Mounting of the Guard which do not appear to have been preserved. See ‘General Regulations, Orders, and Warrants, 1717–1766,’ MS. in the War Office Library, in which the ceremonial is fully described.

1803.  Instruct. Infantry (ed. 3), 11. To Troop or send for the Colours.

1816.  Chron., in Ann. Reg., 8/1. After the trooping of the colours had taken place the detachment … received the Eagles.

1861.  G. F. Berkeley, Sportsm. W. Prairies, xiv. 233. In mounting guard they ‘troop’ as much as we do.

1893.  Times, 5 June, 6/1. The ceremony called trooping the colour which dates back to the times of Marlborough. Ibid. (1894), 1 June, 10/1. First the colour was trooped, and then followed a march past in column.

  7.  To transport (troops).

1882, 1894.  [see TROOPING vbl. sb. b.].