superkick

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-superkick.wav

(professional wrestling) A high side thrust kick attack, which sees the wrestler use the sole of the foot to strike an opponent's head or chin.

Thirty minutes later this superkick landed me, when I came crashing back to earth, at the door of the Egyptian tomb.

1920, The Saturday Evening Post, Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, page 129:

"Mere you-tickle-me-I-tickle you stuff. No Urge^([sic]) about that sort of thing; no Superkick;—well Starfire, if you know what I mean!"— she said it shyly, being young enough and Anglo-Saxon enough, to dread the language.

1933, Eleanor Mercein Kelly, Arabesque, Harper & Brothers, page 231:

Lori Couto's SUPERKICK?

1980, Berkley Middle School Yearbook, Berkley Public Library, page 29:

At the end of the season, in December, they have a competitive and hilarious “superkick,’ a contest measuring accuracy, distance, and style (“style meaning how mongrelly your kicks are”), but that’s generally the extent of formal ceremony, a fact Kelly savors.

2004, Brian Doyle, Spirited Men: Story, Soul & Substance, Cowley Publications, →ISBN, page 127:

(martial arts, video games, fantasy, science fiction, rare) An extremely strong kick, performed with proficiency, which differs from the common wrestling variation.


superkick

en-verb

superkick (third-person singular simple present superkicks, present participle superkicking, simple past and past participle superkicked)

superkicks (present singular third-person)
superkicking (participle present)
superkicked (participle past)
superkicked (past)

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

(professional wrestling) to perform a superkick


area-denial

An area-denial mine might not kill a soldier, but will severely restrict, slow down, or endanger a tank. Many area-denial weapons continue to pose risks to civilians, years after they were first set up.

(military, of devices, typically weapons) Intended to prevent an adversary from occupying or traversing a certain area of land.

區域拒止 /区域拒止

intended to prevent an adversary from occupying or traversing a certain area of land


King's shilling

en-noun

King's shilling (plural King's shillings)

King's shillings (plural)
Queen's shilling (alternative)

I have taken the King's shilling, but perhaps if you came for me they would let me go back with you. I was a fool when I did it. I don't want to be in the army.

1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Strife in Love”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC, part II, page 182:

(British, historical) A shilling accepted by new recruits when agreeing to or tricked into enlisting into the British army or navy during the 18th and 19th centuries.

(figurative) The benefits and rewards of military service.


fightable

en-adj

fightable (comparative more fightable, superlative most fightable)

more fightable (comparative)
most fightable (superlative)

The challenge by Congress was to field an affordable, fightable tank on a compressed schedule within a specified design-to-unit-cost threshold.

1980, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services, Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year:


ringcraft

Episode 12, The Cyclops
Handicapped as he was by lack of poundage, Dublin's pet lamb made up for it by superlative skill in ringcraft.

They said that Hatton lacked authority in his jab and his ringcraft but they never cast a shadow over his fighting heart.

2007, The Independent, James Lawton: Hatton is open about his failings as the door...:

2010, Gareth A Davies, The Telegraph online version (blog); December 14 2010 Amir Khan v Marcos Maidana: Fight of the year ?
Khan moved to 24-1 with this victory – Maidana to 29-2 – and showed the edge in speed and ringcraft. But Maidana, a wall of stone with a granite chin, barely took a backward step.

(boxing) Tactical skill and positioning in the boxing ring.


AFE

(US, military) Acronym of Armed Forces Entertainment.


morning gun

Coordinate term: evening gun

1866 September 8, Carl Schurz, The Logical Results of the War, speech delivered at National Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this version recorded in 1913, Frederic Bancroft (editor), Speeches, Correspondence and Political Papers of Carl Schurz, Volume I,
We have already heard the triumphant morning gun of Vermont, booming with increased volume. Far off San Francisco has merrily responded; old Maine in the North stands ready to send us a cheering echo, and all over the land our hosts are mustering with the inspiring confidence that to march on is to conquer.

(military) At military posts, a gun fired at the first note of reveille; the firing of this gun.


evening gun

Coordinate term: morning gun

That life is not worth living the whole army of suicides declare,—an army whose roll-call, like the famous evening gun of the British army, follows the sun round the world and never terminates.

1897, William James, “Is Life Worth Living”, in The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy:

(military) The firing of a gun after the last note of the retreat, signalling the lowering of the flag at sunset; the gun thus fired.


SPG

(military) Initialism of self-propelled gun.


Das Reich

(military, historical) The 2nd SS Division.


Wiking

(military, historical) The 5th SS division in Nazi Germany.


obturation

en-noun

obturation (countable and uncountable, plural obturations)

From Latin obturare (“to stop up”): compare French obturation.

(firearms) The process of a bullet expanding under pressure to fit the bore of the firearm, or a cartridge case expanding under pressure to seal the chamber.


mitrailleuse

From French mitrailleuse, from mitrailler (“to fire grapeshot”).

(historical, military) A breech-loading machine gun consisting of a number of barrels fitted together, so arranged that the barrels can be fired simultaneously, or successively, and rapidly.

mitraljöösi

rapidly firing breech loading gun with multiple barrels


mitrailleur

(UK, military, obsolete) A rapid-fire team-served musket or rifle.

(UK, military, obsolete) The person in charge of such a weapon.


antimine

(military) Countering or opposing mines (explosive devices).

antiminas

countering or opposing mines (explosive devices)


press tits

en-verb

press tits (third-person singular simple present presses tits, present participle pressing tits, simple past and past participle pressed tits)

presses tits (present singular third-person)
pressing tits (participle present)
pressed tits (participle past)
pressed tits (past)

'Press tits at four thirty a.m.'

2010, Frank Barnard, Blue Man Falling: A riveting World War Two tale of RAF fighter pilots:

[…] For the rest of my life / I'd take me a wife / A Wimpy bomb-aimer, / For he'd press a tit, / And I'd press a tit, / We'd all press tits together, […]

2011, Lewis Brandon, Albert Smith, Ian Smith, Night Flyer/Mosquito Pathfinder: Night Operations in World War II:

(UK, military, slang, RAF) To initiate a start-up sequence.


tape out

tape out (third-person singular simple present tapes out, present participle taping out, simple past and past participle taped out)

tapes out (present singular third-person)
taping out (participle present)
taped out (participle past)
taped out (past)

Tracks made of wooden slabs fastened together were the only roads by which men and pack-mules could cross this quagmire, and each of these ways became taped out by the enemy's artillery, and very perilous.

1918, Philip Gibbs, From Bapaume to Passchendaele, on the western front, 1917, G.H. Doran Co., page 25:

(weaponry) To measure out (a piece of land) so as to be able to accurately fire upon it.


Tiny Tim

(historical, military, countable) A United States rocket, used in World War II and the Korean War.


NFA

The crew departed to conduct some NFA flying.

This mission is not part of our annual flying schedule; it will be NFA.

non-forecast airlift
non-forecast airlift#English

(military) Initialism of non-forecast airlift.


PAT

en-noun

PAT (countable and uncountable, plural PATs)

priority air traffic
priority air traffic#English

(US, military, aviation) Initialism of priority air traffic.


perrier

Old French perriere, perrier, French perrière, pierrier. Compare pederero.

FIrst there were sixe great gunnes, cannons perriers of brasse , that shot a stone of three foote and a halfe

1589, Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC:

(military, historical) A short mortar used for throwing stone shot.


ASBM

anti-ship ballistic missile
w:anti-ship ballistic missile

(military) Initialism of anti-ship ballistic missile.


AShBM

anti-ship ballistic missile
anti-ship ballistic missile#English


ADS

Active Denial System
w:Active Denial System

(US, military) Initialism of Active Denial System.


military intelligence
military intelligence

(military, intelligence, US, initialism) staff military intelligence officer position in smaller units, or section in larger formations


CEF

C.E.F (alternative)
C.E.F. (alternative)

(military, Canada) Canadian Expeditionary Force of WWI


AEF

A. E. F. (alternative)
A.E.F. (alternative)

American Expeditionary Forces
w:American Expeditionary Forces

(military) Initialism of American Expeditionary Forces.


weaponeer

en-verb

weaponeer (third-person singular simple present weaponeers, present participle weaponeering, simple past and past participle weaponeered)

weaponeers (present singular third-person)
weaponeering (participle present)
weaponeered (participle past)
weaponeered (past)

(military) To provide with appropriate weaponry for use against the chosen targets.


wave off

wave off (third-person singular simple present waves off, present participle waving off, simple past and past participle waved off)

waves off (present singular third-person)
waving off (participle present)
waved off (participle past)
waved off (past)

(aviation, nautical, military) Of an aircraft carrier landing signal officer, to signal a pilot to go around.


(military, aviation, US) Misspelling of P-3.


RAdm

(military, nautical) Abbreviation of rear admiral.


RADM

rear admiral (upper half)
rear admiral (upper half)#English

(US, military, nautical) Abbreviation of rear admiral (upper half).


RDML

rear admiral (lower half)
rear admiral (lower half)#English

(US, military, nautical) Abbreviation of rear admiral (lower half).


Yellow Boy

From the golden yellow colour of its receiver.

(firearms, informal) A Winchester Model 1866 lever action rifle.


Green Beret

From the color of the beret worn by them.

Coordinate term: blue beret

A former Green Beret wearing a tactical vest struck an officer in the face with a flagpole he was wielding like a spear during the Capitol riot, according to new court filings from the government and the F.B.I.

2021 March 19, Hailey Fuchs, “A former Green Beret used a flagpole to attack an officer in the Capitol riot, authorities say.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(US military) A member of the United States Army Special Forces.


backseater

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-backseater.wav

(military, informal) A navigator or other crewman who accompanies the pilot of an aircraft.


mil-dot

mil-dots (plural)
mildot (alternative)
mil dot (alternative)

(firearms) A type of firearm scope reticle using a one-milliradian dot as an aiming point and reference for range and holdover estimation.


cornetcy

Formed as cornet (“the fifth commissioned officer in a troop of cavalry”) + -cy.

suffix

His uncle […] diverted him from that pursuit, and gave him a cornetcy in his own regiment.

1761, “Jod.”, in A New and General Biographical Dictionary, volume 12, page 477:

I shall recommend your friend for an Ensigncy. Should you prefer a Cornetcy for him, I may be able to give him one.

1809, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington [aut.], Lieutenant-Colonel John Gurwood [compil.], Wellington Despatches, volume 5, page 141:

He was afterwards gazetted to a Cornetcy in the First Regiment of Life Guards.

1885 May 9th, Manchester Evening News, page 3, column 1

(military, historical) The rank, role, or position of a cornet.


HMIS

(nautical, military) Initialism of His Majesty's Indian Ship.

(nautical, military) Initialism of Her Majesty's Indian Ship.


roundhouse kick

en-noun

roundhouse kick (plural roundhouse kicks)

(martial arts) A kick in which the attacker swings his/her leg around in a semicircular motion, striking with the front of the leg or foot.


ECM

ECM (countable and uncountable, plural ECMs)

(a) Intelligence.—This includes SIGINT, ELINT and their Electronic countermeasures (ECM, ECCM, ECCCM and so on).

2002, Indian Journal of Strategic Studies, volume 23, page 163:

Electronic countermeasure
w:Electronic countermeasure

(military) Initialism of Electronic countermeasure.


underhold

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-underhold.wav

From under- + hold. Compare German unterhalten (“to maintain”).

(wrestling) An unfair seizing of an opponent under the arms.


gomer

Likely from the oafish fictional character Gomer Pyle from the 1960s American sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.

These recruits were given such sobriquets as moron, idiot, or Gomer (after the television marine Gomer Pyle). There were constant comparisons between wayward recruits and animals or vegetables.

1993, James Ebert, A Life in a Year: The American Infantryman in Vietnam, 1965-1972, page 34:

(US, military slang, derogatory) An inept trainee or serviceperson.

We were almost invisible in our tiger stripes and ghillie suits. However, as the unit marched by, a lone gomer broke rank and ventured into the high, wet saw grass that concealed our position.

2010, Brian Easton, Autobiography of a Werewolf Hunter, page 22:

(US, military slang) An opponent in combat or in training.


shark attack

(US military, informal) Shouting and yelling by drill instructors at enlistees on their first day of training.


QRA

(military, US) Initialism of quick reaction alert. A military and NATO term to define a higher state of readiness in which aircraft will become airborne within minutes to intercept and identify unknown aircraft or intercept one that has lost contact with air traffic control.


basha

(UK military slang) A makeshift shelter made from the above.


Ens.

(military) Abbreviation of ensign. (a military rank)


DTD

December to Dismember
w:December to Dismember

(sports, professional wrestling) Initialism of December to Dismember.


dwell time

dwell time (usually uncountable, plural dwell times)

The length of time that a thing or person remains in a given state.

(military) The duty time soldiers have at their domestic home base between foreign deployments.


IRR

Individual Ready Reserve
w:Individual Ready Reserve

(military, US) Initialism of Individual Ready Reserve.


KYD

(US, military) One thousand yards, a unit of measurement.


MOP

MOPs (plural)
MOP (plural)
MoP (alternative)

(US, military) GBU-57; Acronym of Massive Ordnance Penetrator.


antipirate

The Rasulids kept the southern coast under loose control up to Dhofar, even holding Hadramawt to some extent and maintaining an antipirate squadron.

(nautical, military) Opposing or countering pirates.


wolfpack

wolfpacks (plural)
wolf pack (alternative)
wolf-pack (alternative)

(historical, nautical, military) During World War II, any of various marauding groups of submarines, especially German submarines that patrolled the North Atlantic and preyed upon merchant ships.


FLPP

Foreign Language Proficiency Pay
w:Foreign Language Proficiency Pay

(military, US) Initialism of Foreign Language Proficiency Pay.


overwatch

From over- + watch. Back-formation from watch over.

At a further and undefined point in the future, the American force would shrink to about seven and later five brigades — all involved in overwatch missions.

2007 September 11, Michael R. Gordon, “Petraeus Sees Bigger Role in Protecting Iraqi Civilians”, in New York Times:

“It’s 21st-century warfare,” says another team member, Doshch. And although some of the overwatch can be conducted remotely in bunkers, most of the drone teams (typically four-strong, they say) have to work about 1km behind the front.

2023 June 17, Dan Sabbagh, “‘It’s 21st-century warfare’: on Ukraine’s counteroffensive frontline”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(military) The supervision of one unit or vehicle by another while the supervised unit is firing or moving.


RTB

(military) Initialism of return to base.


mission creep

Initially presented as a purely humanitarian mission, Operation Restore Hope gradually shifted from feeding Somalis to fighting them. Unaware of the "mission creep," the public was outraged when 18 U.S. soldiers died in an October 1993 fire fight.

1994 September 19, Mark Thompson, “Haiti: The Past As Prelude”, in Time:

General John Shalikashvili . . . said it was important to set a target date of one year and then bring the troops home, because "in the absence of that, you find yourself staying there, and that's how very often mission creep comes in."

1995 October 23, Elaine Sciolino, “One-Year Limit on U.S. Troops in Bosnia Now an 'Estimate'”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-05-27:

The risks of mission creep and a deepening quagmire leading to nation-building would arise only if ownership of the uprising was appropriated from the Libyans by the West, as would happen with ground troops.

2011 March 13, Ramesh Thakur, “Acting responsibly to protect Libyans”, in Toronto Star, retrieved 2011-05-27:

A good stand-and-stir cooking show is to the Food Network as the music video is to MTV: ancient relics of both institutions' respective original purposes, before mission creep led them to trashy reality competition programming — apparently the entropic end-stage of all TV.

2020 May 18, Adam Ragusea, 5:02 from the start, in The delights and problems of watching Molto Mario, archived from the original on 2024-07-26:

(politics, military, idiomatic) Gradual unplanned expansion of the objectives, scope, and/or cost of a project, especially a military mission.


camelry

camelry (countable and uncountable, plural camelries)

From camel + -ry, modelled after cavalry.

A column of camelry emerged from the city as her honor guards.

1999, George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam, published 2011, page 422:

(military) A military arm of service that fights while riding camels.


MOUT

Military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) present many unique and challenging conditions for the warfighter.

2011, Borko Furht, Handbook of Augmented Reality, page 681:

(US, military) Acronym of military operations in urban terrain.


jump jet

Yet, 24 of the 110 Harrier AV-8A jump jets, the British-built aircraft capable of leaping straight up from a carrier deck and then accelerating to more than 500 m.p.h., have crashed since the Marines first bought them seven years ago.

1977 August 15, “Aircraft: The Marines' Bad Luck Plane”, in Time:

(informal, military) A jet airplane with fixed wings that is capable of vertical takeoff and landing as well as hovering, and, in some cases, also capable of becoming airborne in a conventional manner by gaining airspeed on a runaway.


counterair

(military) Attacking the air force of an opposing power.


minimumweight

The Japanese boxer Yutaka Niida stopped the challenger José Varela of Venezuela in the sixth round on in Tokyo to defend his W.B.A. minimumweight title.

2008 March 2, The Associated Press, “Niida Wins in Title Defense”, in New York Times:

(boxing) The lowest weight class in professional boxing, where boxers may weigh no more than 105 pounds (48 kg).

szalmasúly

the lowest weight class in professional boxing


strawweight

strawweight (countable and uncountable, plural strawweights)

(mixed martial arts) the weight class of 106-115 lbs, above atomweight and below flyweight


pivotman

pivotmen (plural)
pivot man (alternative)

(military) A pivot; the soldier around whom a body of troops wheels.


fleet in being

fleets in being (plural)
fleet-in-being (alternative)

First used in 1690 by British Admiral Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington, in defending his strategy of keeping his fleet in port until reinforcements arrived, rather than engaging with the superior French force.

In point of fact command of the sea and a fleet in being are mutually exclusive terms.

1895, “The Armada”, in The Quarterly Review, volume 182, number 363, John Murray, page 6:

But even for that navy, with its strong tradition of offensive action, there were occasions when the fleet-in-being strategy was prudent and effective.

1994, Colin S. Gray, The Navy in the Post-Cold War World: The Uses and Value of Strategic Sea Power, page 85:

Lines of communication in space, on the other hand, move physical elements, but they are also used to move non-physical elements as well, such as data and information. Consequently, the space equivalent to "fleet in being" should recognize this fundamental difference. […] Whereas the naval fleet in being strategy uses ships to dispute command of the sea, a space strategy employing a force in being may use physical assets as well as non-physical means.

2006, John J. Klein, Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles, and Policy, page 122:

It should instead have been saved as a reserve force, a fleet in being, as long as possible, and then committed in a Riskflotte operation at a key juncture, striking a decisive blow even if it involved its sacrifice.

2007, James B. Wood, Japanese Military Strategy in the Pacific War: Was Defeat Inevitable?, page 81:

(military, navy, countable) A naval fleet which exerts an influence while remaining in port.


exit strategy

desc

→ German: Exit-Strategie (partial calque)

Near-synonym: exit policy

Seeking an exit strategy before sailing in harm's way is smart, but it must be related to the mission's goal.

1993 October 18, Michael Kramer, “The Political Interest It's All Foreign to Clinton”, in Time:

"But most of all, we need an exit strategy so that we know what victory is and how we can get there."

2005 February 1, David E. Sanger, Steven R. Weisman, “In U.S., White House and the Democrats Seek an Edge”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-06-30:

Mergers, acquisitions and IPOs are no longer a reliable exit strategy with capital markets tanking and buyers wary.

2009 February 26, David Lawsky, “Silicon Valley: down but not out?”, in Forbes, retrieved 2011-06-30:

“If your question is, ‘Do I think we should be more aggressive with Belarus,” my answer is no,” he said, emphasizing that Western leaders needed to offer Mr. Lukashenko an “exit strategy.”

2023 June 22, Valerie Hopkins, quoting Emmanuel Macron, “Belarus Is Fast Becoming a ‘Vassal State’ of Russia”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(usually military, politics or business) A well-defined plan for bringing involvement in a mission, activity, or commitment to an acceptable conclusion.


amtrac

(military) An amphibious vehicle of a class introduced in World War II.


landing vehicle tracked

en-noun

landing vehicle tracked (plural landing vehicles tracked)


LVT

landing vehicle tracked
landing vehicle tracked#English

(military) Initialism of landing vehicle tracked.


supply depot

(military) A facility used by armies to store battlefield supplies temporarily on or near the front lines until they can be distributed to army units.


armor-piercing shot

armor-piercing shot (plural armor-piercing shots)

(military) An armor-piercing solid metal projectile having no bursting charge, in use mainly during World War II, abbreviated AP, or simply "shot".


number nine

A number nine pill was all they could hope for if they went sick.

1930, Siegfried Sassoon, The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston: Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, London: Faber and Faber, page 310 (Faber Paper 1972 edition):

(dated, British Army military slang) A laxative pill.


MGySgt

Master Gunnery Sergeant
w:Master Gunnery Sergeant

(US, military) Abbreviation of Master Gunnery Sergeant.


SecDef

Secretary of Defense
w:Secretary of Defense

(US, government, military) Abbreviation of Secretary of Defense, civilian head of the US Department of Defense.


read off

en-verb

read off (third-person singular simple present reads off, present participle reading off, simple past and past participle read off)

reads off (present singular third-person)
reading off (participle present)
read off (participle past)
read off (past)

He also knows that he has a tendency towards being overweight and watches his diet carefully, and he can tell you everything there is to know about every man in his platoon. Yet, more than once, I've read him off for being partial to a couple of obvious earbangers, and the simplest problem can make him indecisive.

(transitive, US, military, slang) To scold or reprimand.


stand-to

en-noun

stand-to (plural stands-to or stand-tos)

stands-to (plural)
stand-tos (plural)
stand to (alternative)

"Stand-to" at dusk for about an hour, work all night, "stand-to" for an hour before dawn. That's the general programme.

1915, Robert Graves, Goodbye to All That, (1929), Penguin Modern Classics 1960, p. 86

(military) A state of readiness assumed by ground troops at dawn and dusk in wartime.


stand-to

en-verb

stand-to (third-person singular simple present stands-to, present participle standing-to, simple past and past participle stood-to)

stands-to (present singular third-person)
standing-to (participle present)
stood-to (participle past)
stood-to (past)
stand to (alternative)

I passed the word along the line for the company to stand-to arms. The N.C.O's whispered hoarsely into the dug-outs: ‘Stand-to, stand-to,’ and out the men tumbled with their rifles in their hands.

1929 November, Robert Graves, chapter XII, in Good-bye to All That: An Autobiography, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 141:

(military) To assume such a state of readiness.


double action

(firearms, primarily of revolvers) Requiring only a trigger pull to both cock and fire.


double action

double actions (plural)
double-action (alternative)

(firearms) A trigger mechanism requiring a single pull to both cock and fire.


BCT

brigade combat team
brigade combat team#English

(military) Initialism of brigade combat team.

battalion combat team
battalion combat team#English

(military) Initialism of battalion combat team.


SCT

en-noun

SCT (countable and uncountable, plural SCTs)

(military) Abbreviation of squad combat team.


Kingo

(UK, military, slang) A member of the King's Liverpool Regiment, later the King's Regiment.


whizz-bang

whizz-bangs (plural)
whiz-bang (alternative)

Some other new chaps started blazing away, too. Fritz retaliated with machine-guns and whizz-bangs. No casualties.

1929 November, Robert Graves, chapter XII, in Good-bye to All That: An Autobiography, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 139:

(British, military slang, historical) A small calibre shell from World War I.


Maxim gun

After the inventor, Sir Hiram Maxim (1840-1916).

Maxim (alternative)
maxim (alternative)
maxim gun (alternative)

(firearms) A British machine gun of various calibres used by the British army from 1889 until World War II.

(firearms) A machine gun which derives after some manner from the patented gun mechanism of Sir Hiram Maxim

(firearms, informal, obsolete) A machine gun


tertiate

en-verb

tertiate (third-person singular simple present tertiates, present participle tertiating, simple past and past participle tertiated)

tertiates (present singular third-person)
tertiating (participle present)
tertiated (participle past)
tertiated (past)

Borrowed from Latin tertiāt-, the perfect passive participial stem of Latin tertiō, from tertius (“third”).

(firearms) To examine, as the thickness of the metal at the muzzle of a gun; or, in general, to examine the thickness of, as ordnance, in order to ascertain its strength.


centesimation

en-noun

centesimation (countable and uncountable, plural centesimations)

From the Latin centēsimātiō, from centēsimō, from centēsimus (“hundredth”); compare quintation, septimation, decimation, vicesimation, and tricesimation.

CENTESIMATION, a milder kind of military puniſhment, in caſes of deſertion, mutiny, and the like, when only every hundredth man is executed.

1763, A New and Complete Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, second edition, page 522:

Sometimes the criminals were decimated by lot, as appears in Polybius, Tacitus, Plutarch, Appian, Dio, Julius Capitolinus, who also mentions a centesimation.

1897, The Columbian Cyclopedia VI, “centesimate”
To inflict the punishment of centesimation.

Centesimation…carries only one-tenth the sensation value of “decimation”.

1980, Stephen Spender, Irving Kristol, editors, Encounter, LIV, page 71:

Decimate, to select by lot and put to death every tenth man of (a captured army or body of prisoners or mutineers) […] Compare 1/100: centesimation.

1992, Laurence Urdang, Three Toed Sloths and Seven League Boots, page 151:

(military history, rare) The selection by lot of every hundredth man (of an army or group of prisoners or mutineers) for execution.

quintation (1

proportionate reduction, by single aliquot part


OPV

optionally piloted vehicle
optionally piloted vehicle#English

(military, aviation, US) Initialism of optionally piloted vehicle.


optionally piloted vehicle

optionally piloted vehicle (plural optionally piloted vehicles)

(US, military, aviation) An aircraft that may be manned or unmanned, able to function in either mode without modification.


XO

XOs (plural)
X.O. (alternative)
X.O (alternative)
X. O. (alternative)
X.O. (alternative)
X. O. (alternative)

executive officer
executive officer#English

(military, nautical) Initialism of executive officer.


flypaper theory

(military) The idea that it is desirable to lure one's enemies into a single country or area where they can be more effectively dealt with.


MCC

Monitored Command Code
Monitored Command Code


backstrap

(firearms) The rearmost surface applied to the grip especially of a pistol below a possible beavertail.


bootneck

(UK, slang, military) A member of the Royal Marines.


meat safe

meat safes (plural)
meatsafe (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-meat safe.wav

“[…] but Bob ’e jumps inside an’ ’e lets ’im ’ave it plumb square on the meat safe as ’ard as ever the Lord would let ’im put it in.”

1896, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 10, in Rodney Stone,, London: Smith, Elder, page 172:

[…] with him carryin’ his guard high, and leavin’ the way to his meat safe open half the time, it was all I could do to hold myself back.

1908, Sewell Ford, chapter 14, in Side-Stepping with Shorty, New York: Mitchell Kennerley, page 221:


antiair

anti-air (alternative)
anti air (alternative)

(military, aviation) Synonym of antiaircraft


antisurface

(military) Attacking military units that are on the surface of the ocean.


cybercommand

The decision to create a cybercommand is a major step beyond the actions taken by the Bush administration, which authorized several computer-based attacks but never resolved the question of how the government would prepare for a new era of warfare fought over digital networks.

2009 May 29, David E. Sanger, “Pentagon Plans New Arm to Wage Wars in Cyberspace”, in New York Times:

(military) A facility capable of launching attacks in cyberspace.


put over

en-verb

put over (third-person singular simple present puts over, present participle putting over, simple past and past participle put over)

puts over (present singular third-person)
putting over (participle present)
put over (participle past)
put over (past)

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

(professional wrestling slang) To increase the popularity or prove the legitimacy of another wrestler, usually by losing to them.


PBI

(military) Initialism of poor bloody infantry - the infantry of the British Army


caveating

Caveating is so necessary a motion in fencing, that without it there could be scarcely any offensive part, or pursuit.

(fencing) Shifting the sword from one side of an adversary's sword to the other.


uncase

uncase (third-person singular simple present uncases, present participle uncasing, simple past and past participle uncased)

uncases (present singular third-person)
uncasing (participle present)
uncased (participle past)
uncased (past)

(transitive, military) To display, or spread to view, as a flag, or the colors of a military body.


triphibious

(military) Involving land, air and sea forces.


crossbody

(wrestling) a move in which a wrestler jumps onto his opponent and lands horizontally across the opponent's torso, forcing them to the mat.


LHD

en-noun

LHD (countable and uncountable, plural LHDs)

Coordinate term: LHA

amphibious assault ship
amphibious assault ship#English

(nautical, military, aviation) Initialism of landing, helicopter, dock.: A type of amphibious assault ship that has a dock for handling landing crafts, and a deck for handling helicopters.


remblai

remblai (countable and uncountable, plural remblais)

Borrowed from French remblai, from remblayer (“to fill up an excavation, to embank”).

(archaic, fortifications or mining) earth or materials made into an embankment after excavation.


blaze away

en-verb

blaze away (third-person singular simple present blazes away, present participle blazing away, simple past and past participle blazed away)

blazes away (present singular third-person)
blazing away (participle present)
blazed away (participle past)
blazed away (past)

Scott, somewhat stunned and now worried that everybody might have opened fire at the U.S. destroyers (he presumably missed Laffey and Farenholt merrily blazing away with their own guns into the darkness), ordered all firing to cease after a couple of minutes.

2020 December 9, Drachinifel, 20:18 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - Cape Esperance (IJN 1 : 2 USN), archived from the original on 2022-12-04:

(firearms, intransitive, idiomatic) To fire (firearms) repeatedly.


SPRG

(firearms, with regard to the 30'06 cartridge) Abbreviation of Springfield Armory.


scorched-earth policy

en-noun

scorched-earth policy (plural scorched-earth policies)

scorched-earth policies (plural)
scorched earth policy (alternative)

The Ethiopian Army waged a scorched-earth policy with saturation bombings and destruction of Eritrea's infrastructure.

1993 April 24, Donatella Lorch, “Eritreans Voting on Independence From Ethiopia”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-11-02:

(military) A strategy that involves destroying buildings, crops, and other resources that could be useful to opponents.


scorched earth

Calque from Chinese 焦土 (jiāotǔ, “scorched earth; ravages of war”), originally in reference to the strategy adopted by the Chinese government in the Second Sino-Japanese War. First attested in 1937 as an idiom.

zh-l

(military) Land that has been abandoned, in the face of an advancing enemy, after the destruction of all resources on it.

(military) The strategy of destroying all resources in an area of land in order to deny their use to an advancing enemy.


bec de corbin

Borrowed from Old French bec de corbin (literally “crow's beak”).

bor+

(weaponry, historical) A poleaxe with a modified hammerhead and a spike mounted on the top of the pole.


canned heat

(professional wrestling) Pre-recorded cheering or booing played during a match.


chrome dome

chrome domes (plural)
chrome-dome (alternative)
chromedome (alternative)

Airman Wheeler, a rebellious sort who did not like his job anyway, disregarded the orders of his superior, Lieut. William Shortt, to get his hair "clipped close from ear to crown, with only a fringe on top of the head"—a haircut variously known as a white sidewall, an Apache, a chrome-dome.

1957 August 5, Carolina A. Miranda, “Armed Forces: Scalped”, in Time:

(US, military) A haircut in which the hair is clipped extremely close to the scalp.


desk pilot

Ever since Sgt. Armstrong got too fat to pass his PT tests, he got promoted to desk pilot.

(US, military) A serviceman relegated to menial deskwork, often due to poor physical and mental abilities.


MAST

(emergency medicine, military) Initialism of military antishock trousers; inflatable trousers that apply pressure to the inferior half of a patient's body to decrease blood loss and prevent the onset of shock, similar to a tourniquet.


outguard

(military) A guard or small body of troops at a distance from the main body of an army, to watch for the approach of an enemy.


état major

Unadapted borrowing from French, from état (“state”) + Latin major (“greater”).

At length seeing the strife between that body and the councils settled, and guessing what would be the issue of it, the General felt that he would lose himself by his silence, without saving Pichegru, and being particularly pressed by his chef d'état Major […]

1814, Paul Svinine, Some Details concerning General Moreau, page 123:

An officer from the dragoons and an officer from the chasseurs joined the état major and were used by the General to take orders to their respective regimental commanders.

1914, Journal of the United States Cavalry Association, page 435:

The key conditions, however, were that Russia had to immediately commence the construction of the strategic lines for which France had long been clamoring, in accordance with plans drawn up by the États-Major of France, and the peacetime preparedness and effectiveness of the Russian army had to be augmented.

2012, Jennifer Siegel, For Peace and Money: French and British Finance in the Service of Tsars and Commissars, page 120:

(military) The staff of an army, including all officers above the rank of colonel, all adjutants, inspectors, quartermasters, commissaries, engineers, ordnance officers, paymasters, physicians, signal officers, and judge advocates, and their noncommissioned assistants.


bushfighting

en-noun

bushfighting (usually uncountable, plural bushfightings)

(military) Fighting in a bushy area, i.e. behind bushes, trees, or thickets.


LGB

(military) Initialism of laser-guided bomb.


CBRN

weapons of mass destruction
weapon of mass destruction

(military, US, emergency medicine) Initialism of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear, used to remember the four types of weapons of mass destruction.


Quaker gun

Quaker guns (plural)
quaker gun (alternative)

/ˌkweɪkəɹ ˈɡʌn/

From Quaker + gun, referring to the pacifism associated with practitioners of the Quaker religion.

Nor was he content with thus strongly garrisoning the fort, but he likewise added exceedingly to its strength by furnishing it with a formidable battery of quaker guns—rearing a stupendous flag-staff in the centre which overtopped the whole city—and moreover by building a great windmill on one of the bastions.

1809, Diedrich Knickerbocker [pseudonym; Washington Irving], chapter III, in A History of New York, from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Inskeep & Bradford, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 216:

The captain examined the marks left on the grass, and was of opinion that more than one man had been employed to set up the decoy figure, […] "At all events, your honour, I will carry the quaker in," said Joyce, tossing the stuffed figure on a shoulder. "He will do to man the quaker gun at least, and may be of use in frightening some one of the other side, more than he has yet frightened us."

1843, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter VI, in Wyandotté, or The Hutted Knoll. […], volume II, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC, pages 84–85:

No one would imagine, from the appearance of the troops on Munson's Hill and the vicinity, that they were new comers. […] Fortifications are already so complete as to forbid all hopes of the rebels regaining possession of these localities. The Quaker gun found there was consigned to the flames to-day, and in its stead heavy artillery, of the genuine sort, commands all the surrounding country.

1861 October 4, “Our troops at Munson’s Hill”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2015-11-04:

Those who watched from the shore as the beautiful vessel moved upstream saw that she too carried guns, but when they boarded her they found that the 'guns' were dummies made of wood. 'Yes,' explained the crew in answer to their wondering questions, 'them's Quaker guns. "Quakers" would be no use in a fight, but they look all right at a distance. They frighten the pirates away – and they cost much less than the real thing!'

1980, Marjorie Sykes, “The British India Society 1815–1843”, in Quakers in India: A Forgotten Century, London: George Allen & Unwin, →ISBN, page 19:

In late September the southerners withdrew from one exposed position on Munson's Hill a few miles southwest of Washington. When the Federals moved in, instead of the large cannon they had expected they found a log shaped and painted to resemble a cannon. This "Quaker gun" embarrassed [General George Brinton] McClellan and called into question his reports of superior Confederate forces. […] The Quaker gun incident further dissipated the once-enormous reservoir of support and adulation for McClellan.

1988, James M[unro] McPherson, “Farewell to the Ninety Days’ War”, in Battle Cry of Freedom: the Civil War Era (The Oxford History of the United States; 6), New York, N.Y.; Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, pages 361–362:

(idiomatic, chiefly US, weaponry, historical) A nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece, typically made of wood and usually intended to deceive enemy forces into overestimating one's available firepower.


vicenary

vicenaries (plural)
vicenarie (alternative)

/ˈvɪsəˌnɛɹi/

From Latin vīcēnārius, from vīcēnus (“twenty each”) + -ārius (“-ary: forming adjectives and related nouns”). Doublet of vicenarious. Ultimately cognate with English vigenary.

Delicat, another Captaine, or vicenarie in Sara, hauing vnder him twenty assistants.

1603, S. Harsnett, Declaration of Popish Impostures, page 49:

(military, obsolete or archaic) An officer in command of twenty men.


camonflet

the French were throwing camonflets or stink-pots into the city as a means of annoyance to its defenders.

1855, The Friend: A Religious and Literary Journal:

(military) A small mine, sometimes formed in the wall or side of an enemy's gallery, to blow in the earth and cut off the retreat of the miners.


crusher gauge

crusher gauges (plural)
crusher gage (alternative)

(ballistics) An instrument for measuring the explosive force of gunpowder, etc., by its effect in compressing a piece of metal.


(firearms) The Mauser model 98, or a firearm action based on this design.


straight pull

(firearms) Alternative spelling of straight-pull


recapper

(firearms) A tool that applies a fresh percussion cap or primer to a cartridge shell in reloading it.


backfall

(wrestling) A fall or throw on the back.


full metal jacket

full metal jacket (plural full metal jackets)

(firearms) A bullet having a complete covering of copper over the lead core.

(firearms) The metal jacket itself, which covers the lead core.


inturn

From Middle English inturn, intorn, equivalent to in- + turn.

(wrestling) A move where the wrestler puts his thigh between the tights of his opponent, and lifts him up.


killock

killocks (plural)
kelleg (alternative)
killick (alternative)

Unabashed, the Killock tilted his head to one side in mock examination, puckering his bulbous nose.

2005, Bill Hawkins, The Other Cockleshell Heroes, page 32:

(naval slang) A leading seaman, who wears a badge with an anchor emblem.


EAB

emergency air breather
emergency air breather#English

(US, military, nautical) Initialism of emergency air breather.

(military) Initialism of echelons above brigade.


palisado

palisado (plural palisados or palisadoes)

[T]he Eyelids are fortify'd vvith little ſtiffe briſtles as vvith Paliſadoes, againſt the aſſault of Flyes and Gnats, and ſuch like bold Animalcula.

1653, Henry More, “Unavoydable Arguments for Divine Providence Taken from the Accurate Structure of Mans Body, from the Passions of His Mind, and Fitnesse of the Whole Man to be an Inhabiter of the Universe”, in An Antidote against Atheisme, or An Appeal to the Natural Faculties of the Minde of Man, whether There Be Not a God, London: […] Roger Daniel, […], →OCLC, book II, page 94:

(fortification) Obsolete form of palisade.


palisado

en-verb

palisado (third-person singular simple present palisadoes, present participle palisadoing, simple past and past participle palisadoed)

palisadoes (present singular third-person)
palisadoing (participle present)
palisadoed (participle past)
palisadoed (past)

He provided a table sixty feet in diameter, upon which I was to act my part, and palisadoed it round three feet from the edge, and as many high, to prevent my falling over.

1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag):

The sea breaks upon this coast against a palisadoed fence of rocks and cliffs, around which swarm flocks of polar birds with cries and screams.

At Chaco they had a little earthen fort, with a small ditch palisadoed round it, and a few old honeycombed guns without carriages, and which do not defend the harbour in the least.

1816, Robert Kerr, A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 17:


chunker

Onomatopoeic, or from chunk (“throw”), with -er.

(US military, slang) An M79 grenade launcher.


CSG

en-noun

CSG (countable and uncountable, plural CSGs)

carrier strike group
carrier strike group#English

(military, nautical, aviation) Abbreviation of carrier strike group.

carrier surface group
carrier surface group#English

(military, nautical, aviation) Abbreviation of carrier surface group.

carrier surface assertion group
carrier surface assertion group#English

(military, nautical, aviation) Abbreviation of carrier surface assertion group.


battle buddy

I didn't know why, but I cut through and took a shorter route and I happened to bump into my battle buddy (SSG). As I piece everything together, I remembered my battle buddy telling me that I was scaring him, because I had “that look”

2011, Yolanda Jones, Scarred, But Not Broken: My Personal Experience as a Single Mom, page 75

You don't do anything without your battle buddy. If your battle buddy does something stupid, you pay for it.

2011, Robert Brock, Turkey Mountain Boys: My Brother's Keeper, page 73

To teach you this lesson, your Drill Sergeants will assign you a battle buddy.

2011, Michael Craig Volkin, The ultimate basic training guidebook: tips, tricks, and tactics, age 41

In fact, the system works so well that the Army has expanded the battle buddy system to units other than basic training

2011, Rod Powers, Basic Training for Dummies, page 172

(US, military) Another servicemember assigned to mutually help another under the battle buddy system, and by extension any comrade.


outsentry

(military) A sentry who guards the entrance or approach to a place.


jabroni

jabronis (plural)
jabrone (alternative)
jabroney (alternative)

Hulk Hogan
Iron Sheik
Scott Hall
Steve Austin

Alteration of earlier gibone (also spelled jiboney, jaboney, etc.), possibly from Italian giambone (“ham”). As a wrestling term, it was popularized by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who claimed to have borrowed it from the Iron Sheik. Prior to its popularization by Johnson, the term had also been used by Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and others.

Get out of this, uh, jabroni outfit.

1999, Matthew Moore, Lords of the Lockerroom, spoken by Mark Wolff (Mark Wolff), Can-Am Productions:

A jobber—also known as jabroni, extra, and enhancement talent—is playing the part of getting beat all the time.

2004, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan with Steve Anderson, Chair Shots and Other Obstacles: Winning Life's Wrestling Matches, →ISBN, page 148:

(professional wrestling slang) A performer whose primary role is to lose to established talent.


resthold

(wrestling) a light hold used to regain energy during a match


waister

The largest division of a ship's company, and the most ignoble, was that of the waisters, the men stationed in the waist, the men " without art or judgment," who hauled aft the fore and main sheets, and kept the decks white.

1905, John Masefield, Sea Life in Nelson's Time, page 129:

(nautical, military, historical) A seaman stationed in the waist of a warship.


Stryker

Sense of armoured vehicle is from 2002, named for two Americans who posthumously received the Medal of Honor: PFC Stuart S. Stryker, who died in World War II, and SP4 Robert F. Stryker, who died in the Vietnam War.

The Army has named its 8-wheeled Light Armored Vehicle III the Stryker.
The Army will field its first Stryker variant, an infantry combat vehicle, at Anniston, Ala.

2002 July, “Wheeled tanks start rolling”, in Popular Mechanics, page 32:

The vast majority of Interim Force activities are swirling around the “Stryker” Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV) family from the General Motors–GDLS Defense Group joint venture. The IAV is a heavier, more modern version of the eight-wheeled Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) III from GM of Canada that is used by the Marine Corps and Canadian forces.

2002, “Interim force armour activities”, in Armed Forces journal international, volume 139:

2004, National Research Council (U.S.). Panel on Operational Test Design and Evaluation of the Interim Armored Vehicle, National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on National Statistics, National Research Council (U.S.). Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Improved operational testing and evaluation: and methods of combining test information for the Stryker family of vehicles and related Army systems, link
Test Process The Army's interim armored combat vehicle, now called the Stryker, is in the latter stages of development.

The lower tactical Internet connects 75 percent or more of Stryker combat vehicles.

2005, Daniel Gonzales, Network-centric operations case study: the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, page 31:

These and most variants of the eight-wheel Stryker combat vehicles have a .50-cal on a remotely controlled mount. Due to the improvised explosive device (IED) and sniper threat, these vehicles' weapons stations are heavily armored.

2011, Gordon Rottman, Browning .50-caliber Machine Guns, page 69:

(military) An eight-wheeled armoured combat vehicle used by the US Army.


piledrive

en-verb

piledrive (third-person singular simple present piledrives, present participle piledriving, simple past piledrove, past participle piledriven)

piledrives (present singular third-person)
piledriving (participle present)
piledrove (past)
piledriven (participle past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-piledrive.wav

"Any wrestler who will piledrive Lawler and injure him like he did me gets five thousand dollars from me!"

2002, Jerry Lawler, Doug Asheville, It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes, page 199:

Anyway, back in the ring, Jericho works on the cut, but Shawn fights off both guys and tries to piledrive Jericho on the grating. Jericho reverses as the match kind of drifts along without a purpose.

2004, Scott Keith, Wrestling's One Ring Circus, page 114:

As a tribute to the burgeoning popularity of hardcore wrestling, Jerry agreed to piledrive someone through a wooden table to the concrete below.

2006, Brian Fritz, Christopher Murray, Between the Ropes: Wrestling's Greatest Triumphs and Failures, page 70:


rimbase

(military, historical) A short cylinder connecting a trunnion with the body of a cannon.


stop-loss

en-noun

stop-loss (countable and uncountable, plural stop-losses)

(US, military, uncountable) A requirement for soldiers to remain in service beyond their normal discharge date.


capsquare

(military, history) A metal plate that covers the trunnions of a cannon and holds it in place.


up the pole

(US, military, dated) Teetotal; not drinking any alcohol.


light-handed

en-adj

light-handed (comparative lighter-handed or more light-handed, superlative lightest-handed or most light-handed)

lighter-handed (comparative)
more light-handed (comparative)
lightest-handed (superlative)
most light-handed (superlative)
lighthanded (alternative)

From Middle English lyghte handyd, from light (adjective) + honded, participle of honden (“to seize, take charge of”), from the noun hond (“hand”). See more at hand.

“We will hold on to the last, while he must begin to take in soon, or the squall will come upon him too fast for a light-handed vessel.”

1836, James Fenimore Cooper, The Water Witch:

If light-handed, or the wind fresh, let go the bowline and ease off the tack, (being careful to let the bowline go before the tack,) and haul up the weather clew.

1841, Richard Henry Dana, The Seaman's Friend, page 57:

Bower anchors should be alike in weight; for the convenience, however, of light-handed crews, it is customary to make a very material difference between them, which is a very grave error

1866, Transactions of the Institution of Naval Architects, page 195:

Being so lighthanded the vessel could not be properly managed and could carry but little sail, consequently her progress was but slow.

1887, The Contributor: Representing the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations of the Latter-day Saints, Volume 8, page 168:

I have therefore ordered Fuller's brigade from Memphis to Big Bear Creek, which leaves me very light-handed here.

1891, S.A. Hurlbut, Congressional Series of United States Public Documents, Volume 2795, page 431:

I looked at the round bows of the sloop, and then at the old sails and the light-handed crew.

2007, Theodore Dwight, Things as They Are, →ISBN, page 64:

(nautical or military) Not having a full complement of workers.


myriarch

From Ancient Greek μυριάρχης (muriárkhēs) in Herodotus or μυρίαρχος (muríarkhos) in Xenophon, from μυρίος (muríos, “myriad, ten thousand”) + -άρχης (-árkhēs) or -αρχος (-arkhos, “-arch: ruler, commander”), calque of Old Persian *baivarapatiš.
As a Mongolian commander, Calque of Mongolian tümen-ü noyon.

A ruler or commander over 10,000 people, particularly

(historical military) The commander of a Mongolian tomen.


physical training

(US, military) cardiovascular and strength training


epinglette

(military) An iron needle for piercing the cartridge of a cannon before priming.


antispace

Further, unlike nuclear power, with strong and organized pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear groups, there has never been a significant anti-space movement in the United States.

1996, National Science Foundation, chapter 7, in Science and Engineering Indicators – 1996, archived from the original on 2015-06-29:

Because of the importance of space superiority, the Air Force published new doctrine on 2 August 2004: Air Force Doctrine Document (AFDD) 2-2.1, Counterspace Operations. Gen John P. Jumper, US Air Force chief of staff, asserts that "space superiority is as much about protecting our space assets as it is about preparing to counter an enemy’s space or anti-space assets" (1). The new publication (pub) defines key terms characteristic of counterspace operations and highlights factors that Airmen must take into consideration when they plan/execute those operations.

2004, Lt. Col. Paula B. Flavell, USAF, “AFDD 2-2.1, Counterspace Operations”, in Air & Space Power Journal, archived from the original on 2011-06-09:

[…] disruptive capabilities, such as cyber warfare, directed energy weapons, biotechnology, or antispace systems, to marginalize U.S. power.

2009, Amos A. Jordan with William J. Taylor, Jr., Michael J. Meese, and Suzanne C. Nielsen, American National Security, →ISBN, page 285:

To the sizable antispace contingent in Congress, Nixon promised an earnest effort to "minimize technical and economic risks"

2012, Matthew H. Hersch, Inventing the American Astronaut, →ISBN, page 144:


BDC

(ballistics) Initialism of bullet drop compensation.


recoveree

It was decided that all recoverees should be screened by the medical staff of USAHS Marigold, anchored in Yokohama harbor.

1966, Reports of General MacArthur - Volume 1, page 111:

Only a few officers were told that the recoverees would be POWs.

2020, Darrel Whitcomb, Moral Imperative, page 153:

He also understood the implication that the recoverees might still have mixed allegiance.

2021, Michael Z. Williamson, That was Now, This is Then:

(military) Someone who has been rescued by a combat operation.


majorship

(military) The position or office of major.


pinhold

...into a take-down hold and possibly a pinhold— that pins his shoulders to the mat

1936, The Youth's Companion Combined with American Boy, page 23:

Then he was to lock his arms around his opponent's two arms and, using them as a lever, fall backward to the mat, then roll over. If it all worked, Jess would come up on top with a double armlock and body-press pinhold.

1971 January, Sam Barnes, “Standup to Victory”, in Boys' Life, volume 61, number 1:

Legs may serve to harass the opponent, as with the cokkbur; to anchor the lower part of the body, as when applying a stretcher, to deter action by the opponent, as used when applying a double wristlock; for control, as in a cross-body ride or guillotine, in lieu of arms, as in the figure-four head scissors; to trip, as in one variation of the double-leg takedown; to overcome the strength of an arm, as in a near-arm grapevine far-side half nelson; or to turn the opponent, as with the inverted cross-body pinhold.

1975, Warren J. Boring, Science and Skills of Wrestling, page 66:

(wrestling, professional wrestling) A hold in which the opponent is pinned to the mat.


neck up

en-verb

neck up (third-person singular simple present necks up, present participle necking up, simple past and past participle necked up)

necks up (present singular third-person)
necking up (participle present)
necked up (participle past)
necked up (past)

(firearms) to increase the size of a cartridge's chamber and calibre.


stinkball

(military, historical) A composition of substances which in combustion emit a suffocating odour, formerly used in naval warfare.


MAP

en-noun

MAP (countable and uncountable, plural MAPs)

(military, attributive) Initialism of multiple aim point.


C-ration

(US, military) An individual canned, precooked, or prepared wet ration formerly issued to land forces in the US military.


antisniper

a specially trained antisniper unit


Texas heart shot

Texas heart shot (plural Texas heart shots)

(hunting, firearms) A bullet fired through the anal area of an animal.


storeship

(nautical, military) A vessel used to carry naval stores.

снабдителен кораб

a vessel used to carry naval stores for a fleet, garrison, etc.


enomoty

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐνωμοτία (enōmotía).

(military, Ancient Greece) A band of sworn soldiers; a division of the Spartan army ranging from twenty-five to thirty-six men, bound together by oath.


AOO

(military) Initialism of area of operations.


no duff

From the RAF slang expression "duff gen" meaning bad information; no duff, by extension means accurate, also: stop operations until ordered otherwise.
No Duff comes from the term "No Direction Finding" in the British Army in regards to radio/signals procedure. It was used when in training or on exercise to pass a message true in nature but not related to the aims of the exercise. This could be an accident, change of exercise requirements etc. This means the message to be sent should not be subject to radio direction finding to locate the transmitting station by either the blue or red side. ie
"Hello zero this is two one alpha, NO DUFF message over".
"NO DUFF two one alpha this is zero, roger out to you, hello all stations this is zero stand by for NO DUFF message out, two one alpha send NO DUFF over".
"NO DUFF hello zero this is two one alpha, two one bravo has rolled their rover over, over".
Normally followed by laughter or expletives from the zero's CP.

“Sunray, No Duff, No Duff, No Duff. We need a medic, we’ve got a man down. Wound to the upper arm, and major blood loss. Over.” ¶ All the other chatter on all the radios went dead with the ‘No Duff.’ It was the signal for a medical emergency.

2001, Ska Child, David Harris, Skavoovee, Victoria, B.C.: Trafford Publishing, page 152:

“Someone grabbed me from behind and said ‘No duff,’ which means this is real,” said LCdr. Wong. “That’s what everybody heard, ‘Plane crash, 737,’ and all of us started running to our posts,” he told reporters after Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrived here to commend those who raced to the scene.

2011 August 24, Gloria Galloway, “When troops heard ‘no duff,’ they knew Resolute Bay rescue wasn’t an exercise”, in The Globe and Mail:

(UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, military slang, radio voice procedure) Indicating that this is not a drill or training exercise.


no duff

“Get him in here, and radio a ‘no duff’ [casualty] to HQ.”

1999, Scott Taylor, Canada at War and Peace: A Millennium of Military Heritage, volume 3, Ottawa: Esprit de Corps Books, page 140:

[p 224] I called on the radio and — this was the most horrifying part of this — I couldn’t reach my observation post where my guys were. But I did get the command post in the middle of Srebrenica. I told them, “This is a no duff situation. You’ve got two men down and we’re on the trail.’
[p 236, glossary] No duff The radio code words used to get people off the air because a serious incident has occurred.

2003, “Jordie Yeo: Master Corporal” in John Wood ed., The Chance of War: Canadian Soldiers in the Balkans, 1992–1995, Dundurn Press

(UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, military slang, radio voice procedure) An incident that is not a drill or training exercise; an emergency. Also end of exercise. Stop drill immediately. As a ‘tap out’ called by during physical training. Sim munitions training in Australian Swat ‘end ex’.


IMP

(Canada, military, food) Initialism of individual meal package.


demibastion

(military) A half bastion, or that part of a bastion consisting of one face and one flank.


NSN

National Stock Number
w:National Stock Number

(military) Initialism of National Stock Number.

(military) Initialism of NATO Stock Number.


carbineer

From carbine + -eer - French carabinier.

The prisoner flung him off with a force scarcely to be expected from one of his slight figure, and, turning quickly, said, "Let me die like a man!—whatever is my death, let me face it!" No further effort was made to blindfold him; but the carbineers formed their deadly rank, looking, however, towards their commander for the signal.

1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter X, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 76:

(military) A soldier armed with a carbine.


SEP

Surrendered Enemy Personnel
w:Surrendered Enemy Personnel

(UK, military) Initialism of Surrendered Enemy Personnel.


veteranize

en-verb

veteranize (third-person singular simple present veteranizes, present participle veteranizing, simple past and past participle veteranized)

veteranizes (present singular third-person)
veteranizing (participle present)
veteranized (participle past)
veteranized (past)

About this time we were much embarrassed by a general order of the War Department, promising a thirty-days furlough to all soldiers who would "veteranize"

1875, General William Tecumseh Sherman, Memoirs of General William Tecumseh Sherman:

(US, military, intransitive, dated) To reenlist for service as a soldier.


PCT

en-noun

PCT (countable and uncountable, plural PCTs)

(military) Abbreviation of platoon combat team.


siegework

(historical, military) A temporary fort where siege guns were mounted.


fragmentation bomb

fragmentation bomb (plural fragmentation bombs)

(military) An antipersonnel bomb that scatters shrapnel when it explodes


voltigeur

Borrowed from French voltigeur, from voltiger (“to vault”), Italian volteggiare. See volt (“a tread”).

(military, historical) One of a picked company of skirmishers in each regiment of the French infantry during the Napoleonic Wars.


overbow

en-verb

overbow (third-person singular simple present overbows, present participle overbowing, simple past and past participle overbowed)

overbows (present singular third-person)
overbowing (participle present)
overbowed (participle past)
overbowed (past)

/ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈbəʊ/

/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)ˌbəʊ/

Another characteristic of an "overbowed" archer can readily be observed by watching the alignment of his back while he is shooting.

1963, Arnold Otto Haugen, Harland G. Metcalf, Field Archery and Bowhunting, page 12:

I know you've heard it before, but no advice on bow selection or shooting would be complete without saying it: Don't “overbow” yourself! Start with a light- to moderate-weight bow and work up if you feel the need to be shooting something heavier.

2016, Ron Rohrbaugh Jr, A Traditional Bowhunter's Path, page 23:

I don't want to overbow a customer because if I do, they're going to get turned off to traditional archery.

2007, Dan Bertalan, The Traditional Bowyers Encyclopedia:

Don't be tempted to overbow yourself — to use limbs that are too heavy for you.

2023, Ben Hastings, The Intermediate Archer:

(archery, transitive) To provide (an archer) with a bow that requires more strength than the archer can fully draw.

The tendency of all archers is to overbow.

1940, Ye Sylvan Archer - Volumes 12-15, page 4:

The most important rule for anyone thinking of making a bow is not to overbow or underbow. The bow at full draw should be just at the limit of the shooter's strength.

2011, Erik Roth, With a Bended Bow: Archery in Mediaeval and Renaissance Europe:

(archery, intransitive) To use a bow that requires more strength than the archer can fully draw.


pospolite

Borrowed from Polish pospolite ruszenie (“a general summons to arms, an arriere-ban”, literally “general stirring”).

bor

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

(historical, military) A former militia in the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, consisting of the gentry, which, was summoned to defend the country in the event of an invasion


overrake

en-verb

overrake (third-person singular simple present overrakes, present participle overraking, simple past and past participle overraked)

overrakes (present singular third-person)
overraking (participle present)
overraked (participle past)
overraked (past)

At Mevis we intended to refresh ourselves, having been eleven weeks pestered in this unwholesome ship; but there we found two tall ships with the Hollanders' colours, but necessity forcing us on shore, we anchored fair' by them, and in friendly manner sent to hail them; but seeing they were Spaniards, retiring to our ship, they sent such a volley of shot after us, that shot the boat, split the oars, and some through the cloaths, yet not a man hurt; and then followed with their great ordnance, that many times overraked our ship, which being so cumbered with the passengers' provisions, our ordnance was not well fitted, nor any thing as it should have been;

1812, John Pinkerton, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World, page 128:

The fire was now becoming intense, the right flank of my company being the most hotly attacked: Believing that a change of position was really necessary, and that in a few moments more we should be swept with an overraking fire, I threw the right wing of company to the rear, in order to diminish its front.

1883, “Report of Capt. James M. Whitson, Eight North Carolina Infantry”, in House documents, volume 12, number 351, page 175:

(military) To rake over or assault, as enemy gunfire attacking the entire force.


THAAD

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense#English

(military, defence) Acronym of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense.


Terminal High Altitude Area Defense

(military, defence) A United States Army system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in their terminal phase.


coehorn

From the name of its inventor, Baron Coehorn.

(military, historical) A small bronze mortar mounted on a wooden block with handles, and light enough to be carried short distances by two people.


antiinsurgency

en-adj

antiinsurgency (comparative more antiinsurgency, superlative most antiinsurgency)

more antiinsurgency (comparative)
most antiinsurgency (superlative)

(military) Opposing or countering insurgency.


tenaillon

(military, historical) A work constructed on each side of the ravelins to increase their strength, procure additional ground beyond the ditch, or cover the shoulders of the bastions.


battering train

en-noun

battering train (plural battering trains)

(military, historical) A train of artillery for siege operations.


jimpy

1985 [Hodder and Stoughton], Terence Strong, Conflict of Lions, 2014, Silver Fox Press, unnumbered page,
Before they had come to a standstill, the protective cover had come off the powerful twin GPMG ‘jimpies’ mounted in the rear compartment by the laconic Australian, Corporal Kangers Webster.

Immediately to his right was our very latest addition to the hill, Frank, on one of the Jimpies. To his right, leaning against the wall with his sniper rifle, was Caz.

2013, Jake Wood, Among You: The Extraordinary True Story of a Soldier Broken by War, Mainstream Publishing, unnumbered page:

(military, slang) A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG).


cunt cap

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-cunt cap.wav

I had warmed under the smiling gaze of this military young woman who wore her small lifeboat hat (these were, I afterwards discovered, known as cunt-caps among the girls themselves) and smoked her ration of tobacco, though she always refused coffee.

1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Penguin, published 2004, page 633:

I hated it – I preferred to wear the gook cap because the cunt cap had DUMMHEIT embroidered all across in black, in an elegant cursive, really swanky and stylish.

1993, Philip Lewis, Life of Death, page 128:

The soldier's overseas cap, the one that opens up along the top, is called a cunt cap: it's hard to imagine any other piece of conventional headgear, like a policeman's visor cap or a bishop's miter or a motorcyclist's helmet treated automatically with such obscene disrespect.

1989, Paul Fussell, Wartime, Oxford University Press, page 92:

(military slang, vulgar) A hat which is gathered and folded on the top.


demigorge

(military) Half the gorge, or entrance into a bastion, taken from the angle of the flank to the centre of the bastion.


counterwheel

en-verb

counterwheel (third-person singular simple present counterwheels, present participle counterwheeling, simple past and past participle counterwheeled)

counterwheels (present singular third-person)
counterwheeling (participle present)
counterwheeled (participle past)
counterwheeled (past)

(military) To turn, or cause to turn, in an opposite direction.


blindage

A blindage may also be formed by covering the space between two traverses with beams, hurdles, earth, & c .

1852, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Outlines of a Course of Lectures on Fortification, Military Tactics, and Perspective:

In order that the reader may appreciate what a ruined blindage looked like and with what horrors its destruction was attended, the following report of Sapper Peter Oleinik, of the Kwantung Sapper Company, is published in full:

1911, F. E. G. Skey, “The Final Struggle for 203-Meter Hill at Port Arthur”, in The Military Engineer, volume 3, page 107:

Blindage covering the tops of saps could simply consist of sandbags, or a layer of fascines laid over the crest of the parapet.

2013, Ron Field, American Civil War Fortifications:

(military, historical) A cover or protection for an advanced trench or approach, formed of fascines and earth supported by a framework.

блінда́ж

There literally was left no space to step foot in the whole blindage: it was so choked with soldiers up to the very entrance.

The key unit of life here is the dugout – what the soldiers call a ‘blindage’ – an underground burrow where half a dozen men share the narrow space between the bunks with weapons, ammunition, biscuits, tea bags, and a jumble of other essentials (there is also usually a cat, not to mention the mice).

2017 January 14, Roland Oliphant, “Special report: Loose cannons at the frontline of Ukraine's forgotten war”, in The Telegraph:

. At first, I thought of staying in a blindage.

2020, Yevgeniya Podobna, Girls cutting their locks:

(military) A deep dugout, often equipped with bunks and other fittings.


compound bow

(weaponry) A modern bow that uses pulleys and cables to help with the drawing and releasing of the bowstring.


recurve bow

(weaponry) A bow whose two tips curve away from the archer when drawn, which gives the shot greater power and speed.


ardian

A compounding of the Scottish Gaelic àrd (“chief”) + eun (“bird”).

A list of new titles was manufactured as follows: Ensign, Lieutenant, Flight-Leader, Squadron-Leader, Reeve, Banneret, Fourth-Ardian, Third-Ardian, Second-Ardian, Ardian, Air Marshal. […] “Ardian” comes from the Gaelic “Ard” meaning “chief”, and “Ian” or “Eun”, a “bird”.

1936, The Periodical, XXI-XXII, page 67:

air vice-marshal
air vice-marshal#English

(military, historical) A proposed but unadopted air-officer rank of the Royal Air Force equivalent to air vice-marshal.


keyholing

(firearms) The tendency of a bullet fired down an excessively large barrel to wobble in flight and leave a keyhole-shaped puncture in the target.


antiparamilitary

en-adj

antiparamilitary (comparative more antiparamilitary, superlative most antiparamilitary)

more antiparamilitary (comparative)
most antiparamilitary (superlative)


doglock

(firearms, historical) The lock that preceded the true flintlock in both rifles and pistols in the 17th century.


Picatinny rail

Named after the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.

(firearms) A bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform.


pinfire

(firearms) An obsolete kind of brass cartridge in which the priming compound is ignited by striking a small pin which protrudes radially from just above the base of the cartridge.


slamfire

(firearms) The premature accidental discharge of a firearm while a round is being loaded into the chamber.


speedloader

Various speedloaders had different colours. You could also hear the data being loaded (1200baud iirc) and some programs had very interesting 'tunes' in them, and it was also possible to work out where you were in the load of your favourite games by the sound.

2002, John Bland, “Thumb Bandits.”, in comp.sys.acorn.misc (Usenet):

(firearms, computing) Alternative form of speed loader


sporterize

en-verb

sporterize (third-person singular simple present sporterizes, present participle sporterizing, simple past and past participle sporterized)

sporterizes (present singular third-person)
sporterizing (participle present)
sporterized (participle past)
sporterized (past)
sporterise (alternative)

(transitive, firearms) To modify (a firearm) so that it is suitable for sporting use.


underlug

(firearms) One of the locking lugs on a break-action firearm that extend from the bottom of the barrels under the chamber(s) and connect into the receiver bottom.

(firearms) The metal shroud underneath the barrel of a revolver that surrounds and protects the extractor rod.


dust-off

(military, Vietnam War) A medical helicopter.


force multiplier

en-noun

force multiplier (plural force multipliers)

(military) A factor, such as better positioning or equipment, which increases a unit's combat potential, allowing it to fight on a par with a larger force.


miquelet

Catalan miquelet, a diminutive of Michael. Supposedly named after a Miquel or Miquelot de Prades, a Catalan mercenary captain in the service of Cesare Borgia.

(military, historical) An irregular or partisan soldier in Catalonia.


substrategic

(military, nuclear weapons) At a lesser level than full strategic nuclear warfare.


hersillon

(historical, fortification) A beam with projecting spikes, used to make a breach impassable.


CAC

CAC (countable and uncountable, plural CACs)

(military, US) Initialism of Common Access Card.


brevetcy

(archaic, military) The rank or condition of a breveted officer; a temporary promoted rank.


UCP

universal camouflage pattern
universal camouflage pattern#English

(US, military) Initialism of universal camouflage pattern.; The digital pixelated squared camouflage pattern used by the U.S. Army during the early 21st-century


unbreech

en-verb

unbreech (third-person singular simple present unbreeches, present participle unbreeching, simple past and past participle unbreeched)

unbreeches (present singular third-person)
unbreeching (participle present)
unbreeched (participle past)
unbreeched (past)

She was overladen with guns , some were unbreeched , and her port - holes left open

1801, Thomas Pennant, A journey from London to the Isle of Wight:

(military, transitive) To free the breech of (a cannon etc.) from its fastenings or coverings.


splinterproof

(military) resistant to fragments of exploding shells


MWR

(US, military) Initialism of morale, welfare, and recreation.


prestrategic

(military, nuclear weapons) Before the onset of full strategic nuclear warfare.


double-shot

double-shot (third-person singular simple present double-shots, present participle double-shotting, simple past and past participle double-shotted)

double-shots (present singular third-person)
double-shotting (participle present)
double-shotted (participle past)
double-shotted (past)

The Indomitable raked the frigate’s stern with double-shotted guns.

The boarding-nettings were up, the guns double-shotted with grape and canister, and the swivels loaded with canisters of musket-balls.

1838, [Edgar Allan Poe], chapter XX, in The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, pages 165–166:

(transitive, military) To load (a cannon) with twice the shot, for increased damage at the expense of range.


frizel

To this succeeded the Snaplance ^([sic]), in which a motion was given to the dog, or cock, and a movable plate of steel, called the frizel, or hammer, was placed vertically above the pan to receive the action of the flint.

1832, The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, volume 10, page 164:

(firearms, historical) A movable furrowed piece of steel struck by the flint, to throw sparks into the pan, in an early form of flintlock.


checkage

the checkage of a name or of an item in a list

(chiefly military) The act of marking with a check mark.


saikyr

(military) Obsolete form of saker (“a cannon”).


faussebraye

faussebrayes (plural)
fausse-braye (alternative)
faussebraie (alternative)

(military) A second rampart, exterior and parallel to the main rampart, and considerably below its level.


roughrider

noncommissioned officer
noncommissioned officer

(military, dated) A noncommissioned officer in the British cavalry whose duty is to assist the riding master.

Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War

(US, military, dated, slang) A member of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry during the Spanish-American War


sabretasche

Borrowed from French sabretache, from German.

Oh, love is the soul of an Irish dragoon In battle, in bivouac, or in saloon, From the tip of his spur to his bright sabretasche.

1840, Charles Lever, O'Malley, the Irish Dragoon:

(military, obsolete) A leather case or pocket worn by cavalry at the left side, suspended from the swordbelt.


demibrigade

Borrowed from French demi-brigade, demi- + brigade.


estacade

French [Term?]; compare Italian steccata, Spanish estacada, and English stake.

(military) A dike of piles in the sea, a river, etc., to hinder the approach of an enemy.


pentecosty

en-noun

pentecosty (plural pentecosties or pentecostys)

pentecosties (plural)
pentecostys (plural)

From Ancient Greek πεντηκοστύς (pentēkostús), from πεντήκοντα (pentḗkonta, “fifty”).

There were seven companies in the field without counting the Sciritae, who numbered six hundred men: in each company there were four Pentecostyes, and in the Pentecosty four Enomoties.

1874, Thucydides, translated by Richard Crawley, History of the Peloponnesian War, Book 5:

(military, Ancient Greece) A troop of fifty soldiers in the Spartan army.


cavin

From French cavin (same meaning), ultimately from Latin cavus.

Having a sufficient Knowledge of the several Parts of the Fortification, by means of Spies, Deserters, Prisoners, and from printed or drawn Plans, The Nature of the Ground about the Place must be well examined and observed, whether there are any hollow Ways, or Cavins, by means of which the Trenches may be opened nearer than usual;

1747, John Muller, The Attack and Defence of Fortify'd Places, page 29:

These posts are sometimes covered by a rideau, or rising ground, or else by a cavin, or deep valley, which saves the trouble of fortifying them with parapets, fascines, gabions, barrels, or bags of earth.

1760, A New Military Dictionary: or, the Field of war.:

A cavin near a place besieged is of great advantage to the besiegers; as by help hereof they can open trenches, make places of arms, keep guards of horse, and the like, without being exposed to the enemy's shot.

1788, William Henry Hall, The New Royal Encyclopaedia:

(military) A hollow route, adapted to cover troops and facilitate their approach to a place.


columbiad

From Columbia (“the United States”).The term was first used for a type of cannon employed at Fort Columbus on Governor's Island in New York in 1808.

(military, historical) A form of cannon from the 19th century, mostly used for seacoast protection. It is a large-caliber, smoothbore, muzzle-loading cannon designed for launching shot or shells with heavy charges of powder, at both high and low angles of elevation.


EMTF

(military) Initialism of expeditionary mobility task force.


Exocet

From French Exocet, from exocet (“flying fish”).

(military, nautical) A French antiship missile.


majorate

From major (noun) + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office).

af

(military) The office or rank of a major.


counterguard

(fortification) A low outwork before a bastion or ravelin, consisting of two lines of rampart parallel to the faces of the bastion, and protecting them from a breaching fire.


overslaugh

/ˈəʊ.vəɹˌslɔː/

From Dutch overslag, from Dutch overslaan.

When an officer is on duty he receives an "overslaugh" for all other duties that come to his turn, provided that they are not additional duties that he may be called on to perform .

1892, Sisson Cooper Pratt, Guide to promotion, page 71:

When an officer's tour for more than one duty comes round on the same date, he is to be detailed for that duty only which has the precedence in the clasification in para. 2, Sec. 8, H.M. Reg.; and he is to receive an overslaugh for any other duty, the date being filled in for the duty performed, and a — [ blank line ] drawn in the column of the duty for which he receives the overslaugh .

1875, J. Jerome, The Office Duties of an Adjutant, page 71:

Hamilton, a brevet colonel, though only a captain in the regiment, is charged for these guards, and the governor of Gibraltar giving no "overslaugh" to absent officers, Colonel Hamilton was put to great expense. He sets forth in his memorial that as he is a colonel he is unable to join his regiment for captain's duty, and prays that the circumstances set forth in his memorial may be admitted as a reasonable plea for his remaining at home, and that an "overslaugh" may be allowed him, which was afterwards done.

1895, John Davis, The History of the Second Queen's Royal Regiment:

(military, archaic) The permission to skip a duty; an exemption from an active duty.


lance-jack

They made him a lance-jack; but it was only because they wanted somebody tall at the end of the front rank to fix bayonets by.

1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 44:

(UK, military slang) A lance-corporal or lance-bombadier.


NUWC

Naval Undersea Warfare Center
w:Naval Undersea Warfare Center

(military, US navy) Initialism of Naval Undersea Warfare Center.


antidisturbance

(military) Causing an explosive device to detonate if disturbed.

antidistúrbio

causing an explosive device to detonate if disturbed


star shell

star shells (plural)
star-shell (alternative)
starshell (alternative)

Twilight deepened, and a flicker of star-shells wavered in the sky beyond Béthune.

1928, Siegfried Sassoon, Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, Penguin, published 2013, page 260:

The sky flickered with the flash of guns, and an occasional star-shell flooded their path with light.

1929, Frederic Manning, The Middle Parts of Fortune, Vintage, published 2014, page 5:

To deprive the enemy of any advantage they might gain at night, he had star shells which could light up the entire countryside.

1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 351:

(military) A type of ammunition shell which bursts to release a shower of stars for illuminating enemy positions etc.


sangar

sangars (plural)
sangah (alternative)
sanger (alternative)
sungah (alternative)
sungar (alternative)
sungha (alternative)

From Pashto سنګر (sangar) or from Persian سنگر (sangar).

At the summits of these the enemy sharpshooters waited for them in sangars, or rock-built entrenchments, each of which had to be taken before the advance could safely continue.

1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 422:

A sangar is a breastwork in the form of stonewalls built without bounding material. If stones are unavailable at or near the picket site sandbags are brought in to build the sangar.

2002, Stephen Hughes, The Iraqi Threat and Saddam Hussein′s Weapons of Mass Destruction, page 140:

As the sun finally set, the rebels rushed the sangars, but were cut to pieces by the deadly accurate SAS fire.

2003, Mike Ryan, Secret Operations of the SAS, page 81:

The game′s up, thought Piet as the Burghers returned fire and moved forward to attack the sangar.

(military, UK) A stone breastwork; a fortified niche or look-out post.


COW

en-noun

COW (countable and uncountable, plural COWs)

(naval, uncountable) Acronym of chief of watch.


pass-parole

Unadapted borrowing from French passe-parole.

ubor

(military, archaic) An order passed from the front to the rear by word of mouth.


stacket

Compare French estacade and English stockade.

Also, I would advise you to fortify the said sconce, not only by a foussie, or graffe, but also by certain stackets, or palisades. […] The whilk stackets or palisades should be artificially framed with re-entering angles and loop-holes, or crenelles, for musquetry, whereof it shall arise that the foemen— […]

1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter II, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume IV (A Legend of Montrose), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 32:


UDT

en-noun

UDT (countable and uncountable, plural UDTs)

Underwater Demolition Team
w:Underwater Demolition Team

(US, military, historical) Initialism of Underwater Demolition Team.


trou-de-loup

(military, historical) A pit in the form of an inverted cone or pyramid, constructed as an obstacle to the approach of an enemy, and having a pointed stake in the middle.


crampet

crampets (plural)
crampette (alternative)
crampit (alternative)

(military) A cramp iron or cramp ring; a chape, as of a scabbard.


snap cap

1187. B. Lilly. Improvements in the construction of "snap caps" or "nipple protectors" for firearms. Dated May 12, 1863.

1863 December 18, The Mechanics' Magazine, page 889:

Snap caps are dummies (no powder, no primer, no projectile) shaped like the ammunition for a particular gun. They're supposed to provide something for the firing pin to hit during dryfiring, so the gun's lockwork doesn't have to absorb this impact. It's a fine idea, but not all snap caps are made right.

2012, Silvio Calabi, The Gun Book for Boys:

However, it does no harm (and may prevent damage) to use snap caps - dummy rounds which are inserted into the chamber to soften the impact of the firing pin.

2014, MAssad Ayoob, Gun Safety in the Home, page 124:

(firearms) A dummy round of ammunition used to check ammo feed and other mechanical problems.


LBF

(boxing) Initialism of Luxembourg Boxing Federation.


chow hall

Back home you may not be much, but out there they've got deployment goggles—you look good, so you're in chow hall and it's kind of uncomfortable because you feel like a piece of meat or something on display.

2010, Laura Browder, Sascha Pflaeging, When Janey Comes Marching Home: Portraits of Women Combat Veterans, University of North Carolina Press, →ISBN, page 137:


dining facility

dining facility (plural dining facilities)


DFAC

DFAC (countable and uncountable, plural DFACs)

(military slang) Abbreviation of dining facility.


brew up

en-verb

brew up (third-person singular simple present brews up, present participle brewing up, simple past and past participle brewed up)

brews up (present singular third-person)
brewing up (participle present)
brewed up (participle past)
brewed up (past)

Gavin's tank brewed up on the first hit.

(military, intransitive) To go up in flames.

(military, transitive) To cause to go up in flames.


tweep

tweep (third-person singular simple present tweeps, present participle tweeping, simple past and past participle tweeped)

tweeps (present singular third-person)
tweeping (participle present)
tweeped (participle past)
tweeped (past)

From TWEP, acronym of terminate with extreme prejudice, a US military intelligence and CIA euphemism for "kill, assassinate" that was first used in the 1960s.

Robert Maheu, tough, astute, dynamic, was the perfect professional to implement the CIA scheme to tweep Fidel Castro.

1997, William B. Breuer, Vendetta!: Fidel Castro and the Kennedy Brothers, John Wiley, →ISBN:

(US, espionage, euphemistic) To kill; to assassinate.


aerochemical

(military) Relating to the delivery of chemical weapons by air

aeroquímico

relating to the delivery of chemical weapons by air


argoletier

/ˌɑː(ɹ)ɡələˈtɪə(ɹ)/

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-argoletier.wav

Alteration of argolet, after chevalier etc.

And he that shall enquire of our Argolettiers or Free-booters, what experiences they have had in these our late civil wars, shal no doubt find effect and examples of patience, of obstinacy and stif-neckednes […].

(obsolete, military) A light mounted soldier; a mounted bowman.


dead zone

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-dead zone.wav

(military, historical) An area near a fortification that is relatively sheltered from defending fire because direct fire from other parts of the walls cannot be directed around a curved wall.


raggie

He is concerned for his pal, his raggie, […]

1918, Edward Noble, The Naval Side, page 54:

Able-seaman Jenvey, his "raggie" Lofty Smith and Venus the honey-bear were ensconced in their usual billet under the fo'c'sle awning of His Majesty's cruiser Empire enjoying the peace of a make-and-mend afternoon.

1943, Gilbert Hackforth-Jones, Torpedo!: Stories of the Royal Navy, page 100:

(UK, naval slang, dated) A close friend; chum.


PERSTAT

(US military) Abbreviation of personnel status report.


minnie

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-minnie.wav

(World War I military slang) A minenwerfer trench mortar.


ployment

en-noun

ployment (countable and uncountable, plural ployments)

(military) The act or movement of forming a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision


EPICUS

(military) Acronym of emphasis, participation, interest, confirmation, understanding, success, the six principles of instruction.


CREST

(military) Acronym of comparisons, reasons, examples, statistics, testimony: the five types of verbal support used to enhance an oral presentation.


HSF

(military, nautical, historical) Initialism of High Seas Fleet.


pindown

(military) A hypothetical nuclear attack using a barrage of missiles to disrupt the target's ability to launch its own missiles.


LPI

(military) Initialism of low-probability-of-intercept.


awkward squad

(military) A squad of inept recruits assembled for special drill.


redoublement

redoublement (countable and uncountable, plural redoublements)


absent over leave

(military) Failing to return from leave or liberty on time.


spratmo

As early as February 1943, the "spratmo"' around Tuskegee was that the 99th was to be sent to the North African theater. There had been other rumors.

1991, J. Alfred Phelps, Chappie: America's first Black four-star general:

Segregated and unwieldy as the group might be, it was now well established, aggressive, and successful. Morale continued high. Squadron clubs operated in full swing, with drinks, music, and "spratmo" (gossip).

1998, Stanley Sandler, Segregated Skies:

Yeah, Babe, I guess I got about seven hours in the hot sun under the bubble canopy but I'm OK now. How 'bout you? What's the latest spratmo about your condition?

2002, Charles W. Dryden, Benjamin O Davis, A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman, page 229:

“Spratmo,” the base grapevine, hummed with reports that the squadron would ship out any day now—or maybe in two months

2010, J. Todd Moye, Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, page 97:

(dated, African-American Vernacular, military) News, gossip.


horse cock

horse cock (countable and uncountable, plural horse cocks)

horse cocks (plural)
horsecock (alternative)

[…] Those who served on the Mediterranean convoys may remember that we had to carry food for the round trip, and the last 1000-2000 miles were a steady diet of baloney. We felt "horse cock" was good enough for prisoners too, especially those who ordered "Fire!" on our ships.

2004, Lewis M. Andrews, Tempest, Fire & Foe: Destroyer Escorts in World War II and the Men Who Manned Them, Trafford Publishing, published 2004, →ISBN, page 50:

(uncountable, slang, chiefly military) Sausage such as baloney or salami.


JSP

jacketed soft point
jacketed soft point#English

(firearms) Initialism of jacketed soft point


flatbow

(archery) a bow with non-recurved, flat, relatively wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section.


composite bow

(archery) a bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together.


tête-de-pont

Borrowed from French tête de pont (“head of a bridge”).


AAF

(military, US, dated) Initialism of Allied Air Forces.

(military, US, dated) Initialism of Army Air Forces.

Army airfield
w:List of United States Army airfields

(military, US, dated) Initialism of Army airfield.


CQMS

(military) Initialism of company quartermaster sergeant.


up the spout

He went into the attack with his rifle cocked and with one up the spout.

(military, slang) In the chamber, having an ammunition round in a weapon's chamber.


silent service

en-noun

silent service (usually uncountable, plural silent services)

Germany has four times as many subs as when the war started. . . . The number of highly trained men in Berlin's silent service is limited.

1943 January 7, “News Behind the News”, in Modesto Bee, US, page 16:

As befits advocates of the “Silent Service,” the Naval Submarine League keeps a low profile.

1986 August 4, Richard Halloran, “Washington Talk: Speaking Out for the Silent Service”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-08-06:

A sailor with 33 years experience in the silent service and once a fabled commander of the Northern Fleet nuclear submarines, Chernov contends that the raising operation was intentionally launched as a cover-up to leave the Kursk on the sea floor.

2001 August 16, Yuri Zarakhovich, “Will We Ever Know What Sank the Kursk?”, in Time:

(military, informal, sometimes capitalized) The submarine service.

In true "silent service" tradition, the Royal Canadian Navy says little about itself.

1940 May 17, “Royal Canadian Navy Growing In Strength”, in Ottawa Citizen, Canada, retrieved 2012-08-07, page 9:

The Navy has long been known as the "silent service," and perhaps none of our naval leaders is as well known to the American public as any one of a number of generals.

1945 June 3, “Pacific Seadogs”, in New York Times, USA, page SM6:

Since then, the navy has recovered its identity but continues to pride itself on being the Silent Service.

1978 July 14, “Colonel Was Trained To Shoot From Hip”, in Montreal Gazette, Canada, retrieved 2012-08-07, page 5:

(military, informal, sometimes capitalized, possibly dated) The navy.


air-to-surface missile

air-to-surface missile (plural air-to-surface missiles)

(military) A missile that is fired from an aircraft to the ground.


surface-to-surface missile

surface-to-surface missile (plural surface-to-surface missiles)

(military) A ground-based missile that can target other objects on the ground.


batardeau

(military) A wall built across the ditch of a fortification, with a sluice gate to regulate the height of water in the ditch on both sides of the wall.


Green Hornet

Named after Green Hornet, an American fictional vigilante, originally a character on a radio serial.

(military, informal) In the Vietnam War, a member of the US Air Force's 20th Special Operations Squadron, who used the Bell UH-1F variant of the "Huey" military helicopter.