Long Range Desert Patrol
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A British military organization of volunteers in World War II who, in N. Africa, penetrated behind the enemy's lines to do as much damage as possible.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Long Range Desert Patrol” mean?
A British military organization of volunteers in World War II who, in N. Africa, penetrated behind the enemy's lines to do as much damage as possible.
Is “Long Range Desert Patrol” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.