infantry

infantry
/in"feuhn tree/, n., pl. infantries.
1. soldiers or military units that fight on foot, in modern times typically with rifles, machine guns, grenades, mortars, etc., as weapons.
2. a branch of an army composed of such soldiers.
[1570-80; < It infanteria, equiv. to infante boy, foot-soldier (see INFANT) + -ria -RY]

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Troops who fight on foot.

The term applies both to soldiers armed with hand weapons such as the spear and sword in ancient times and to troops armed with automatic rifles and rocket launchers in modern times. Their objective has always been to seize and hold ground and, when necessary, to occupy enemy territory. Apart from the temporary dominance of cavalry in the feudal period, it has been the largest single element in Western armies since ancient times.

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▪ military force
      troops who fight on foot, even though transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, aircraft, tanks and other motorized vehicles, skis, or other means. The term applies equally to troops armed with such hand weapons as the spear and sword in ancient times and with automatic rifles and rocket launchers in modern times. As foot soldiers their objective has always been to seize and hold ground and, when necessary, to occupy enemy territory. The infantry has been the largest single element in Western armies since ancient times, though during the feudal period cavalry attained a temporary dominance.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • infantry — [in′fən trē] n. pl. infantries [Fr infanterie < It infanteria < infante, very young person, knight s page, foot soldier < L infans: see INFANT] 1. foot soldiers collectively; esp., that branch of an army consisting of soldiers trained… …   English World dictionary

  • Infantry — In fan*try, n. [F. infanterie, It. infanteria, fr. infante infant, child, boy servant, foot soldier, fr. L. infans, antis, child; foot soldiers being formerly the servants and followers of knights. See {Infant}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A body of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • infantry — 1570s, from Fr. infantrie, from older It., Sp. infanteria foot soldiers, force composed of those too inexperienced or low in rank for cavalry, from infante foot soldier, originally a youth, from L. infantem (see INFANT (Cf. infant)). Meaning… …   Etymology dictionary

  • infantry — ► NOUN ▪ foot soldiers collectively. DERIVATIVES infantryman noun. ORIGIN Italian infanteria, from infante youth, infantryman …   English terms dictionary

  • Infantry — For the computer game, see Infantry (computer game). Warfare Military history Eras Prehistoric Ancient …   Wikipedia

  • infantry — [[t]ɪ̱nfəntri[/t]] N UNCOUNT COLL Infantry are soldiers who fight on foot rather than in tanks or on horses. The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge... The enemy infantry was hiding. ...an infantry division. ...regiments of infantry …   English dictionary

  • Infantry — A dismounted fighting man. During the bulk of the Middle Ages, the role of infantry was considered to be the role of the common man, a distinction is retains to a degree even in modern warfare. Generally, medieval infantry was more lightly… …   Medieval glossary

  • infantry — n. light; motorized; mountain infantry * * * [ ɪnfəntrɪ] motorized mountain infantry light …   Combinatory dictionary

  • infantry — noun (plural tries) Etymology: Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French infanterie, from Old Italian infanteria, from infante boy, foot soldier, from Latin infant , infans Date: 1579 1. a. soldiers trained, armed, and equipped to fight on foot… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • infantry — noun a) Soldiers who fight on foot (on land), as opposed to cavalry and other mounted units, regardless of external transport (e.g. airborne). b) The part of an army consisting of infantry soldiers, especially opposed to mounted and technical… …   Wiktionary

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