pelotón
/peh-loh-TON/
platoon
A military platoon (pelotón) standing at attention.
pelotón(noun)
platoon
?military unit, small group of soldiers
,squad
?police or military detachment
detachment
?specific group assigned a task
📝 In Action
El sargento ordenó al pelotón marchar a la posición.
B1The sergeant ordered the platoon to march to the position.
Un pelotón de policías llegó para controlar la situación.
B2A squad of police officers arrived to control the situation.
💡 Grammar Points
Masculine Noun Rule
Even though it refers to a group of people, 'pelotón' is always a masculine noun, so it takes masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., 'el pelotón', 'un pelotón grande').
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Contexts
This meaning is primarily used in formal, military, police, or historical writing/speech, less so in everyday conversation.
The main peloton (pelotón) of cyclists grouped together during a road race.
pelotón(noun)
peloton
?main group of cyclists in a race
,pack
?main body of competitors
main group
?general sports terminology
📝 In Action
El ciclista logró mantenerse con el pelotón a pesar del fuerte viento.
B2The cyclist managed to stay with the peloton despite the strong wind.
El líder de la carrera se despegó del pelotón en el último ascenso.
C1The race leader broke away from the pack on the final climb.
💡 Grammar Points
Specialized Terminology
When talking about cycling, 'pelotón' specifically refers to the large, main cluster of riders who benefit from drafting (riding close together to save energy).
⭐ Usage Tips
Pronunciation Tip
Remember the stress is on the last syllable: pe-lo-TÓN. This is typical for many Spanish nouns ending in -ón.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pelotón
Question 1 of 2
Which meaning of 'pelotón' is most relevant when discussing the Tour de France?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'pelotón' ever used to describe a crowd of regular people?
While it technically means a dense cluster, it's almost always reserved for organized groups: military, police, or athletes. For a regular crowd, you would use words like 'multitud' (multitude) or 'grupo' (group).
Since it ends in -ón, is it always masculine?
Yes. Most nouns ending in -ón (which often signifies something large) are masculine in Spanish, and 'pelotón' follows this rule.