Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A skirmisher.
- noun In the French army, a sharp-shooter; a skirmisher; one of an organized body of light troops for skirmish duty.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Mil.) Formerly, a member of an independent body of marksmen in the French army. They were used sometimes in front of the army to annoy the enemy, sometimes in the rear to check his pursuit. The term is now applied to all troops acting as skirmishers.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun an
infantry soldier
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Monday, November 26, 2007 tirailleur tirailleur (teera-yuhr) n.m. skirmisher; soldier, infantryman, sharpshooter; sniper
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Monday, November 26, 2007 tirailleur tirailleur (teera-yuhr) n.m. skirmisher; soldier, infantryman, sharpshooter; sniper
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Monday, November 26, 2007 tirailleur tirailleur (teera-yuhr) n.m. skirmisher; soldier, infantryman, sharpshooter; sniper
French Word-A-Day: 2007
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Monday, November 26, 2007 tirailleur tirailleur (teera-yuhr) n.m. skirmisher; soldier, infantryman, sharpshooter; sniper
French Word-A-Day: 2007
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As he said so, he looked boldly towards Miss Bellenden, and tradition says, that the eyes of the young tirailleur travelled, though more covertly, in the same direction.
Old Mortality 2004
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Sharpe, mounted on his horse, could see into the parlour windows and, thinking of his action as a secret approach march, he feared that he might lead his men past the house of a senior Army officer who, like a French tirailleur, would ambush them.
Sharpe's Regiment Cornwell, Bernard 1986
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Fritz felt the frenzy of Gravelotte return to him as he gripped the sword which he now wielded in place of the musket; and, urging on his company, the men, scattering right and left in tirailleur formation were soon creeping up to the enemy, taking advantage of every little cover which the irregularities of the ground afforded.
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Out of this group they have pulled to its edge a huge Senegalese tirailleur, who, petrified in the contorted position where death seized him, leans upon empty air and holds fast by his feet, staring at his two severed wrists.
Under Fire: the story of a squad Henri Barbusse 1904
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But every man must love his chief, and serve him with blood and bayonet; and march o 'nights if need, and limber up the guns if need, and shoe a horse if need, and draw a cork if need, and cook a potato if need; and be a hussar, or a tirailleur, or a trencher, or a general, if need.
When Valmond Came to Pontiac, Volume 2. Gilbert Parker 1897
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But every man must love his chief, and serve him with blood and bayonet; and march o 'nights if need, and limber up the guns if need, and shoe a horse if need, and draw a cork if need, and cook a potato if need; and be a hussar, or a tirailleur, or a trencher, or a general, if need.
The Project Gutenberg Complete Works of Gilbert Parker Gilbert Parker 1897
chained_bear commented on the word tirailleur
"TIRAILLEURS, skirmishers sent in front of the main body, to act in a disultory (sic) manner, to annoy the enemy, &c." (citation in list description)
October 9, 2008
lilmishap commented on the word tirailleur
hahaha To ANNOY the enemy! I love it NO MORE WAR send IRRITATING TEENS TO SHOUT ABUSE leaders of the world take note!
what a fan-bloody-tastic word TY random words and chained_bear
February 20, 2009