Other forms: garrisons
A garrison is the troops stationed in a place to hold it. A small garrison, the garrison surrendered, garrison town.
The word covers the troops and the place they hold. A garrison town is one shaped by the barracks in it, and many British towns still are. Note that the word comes from an Old French verb meaning to protect, the same root as guard and warn — the modern spelling was pulled towards garrison by association.
1noungarrisonThe troops stationed in a place to hold it.
“The garrison held the fortress for months until their supplies ran out.”
garrison is a military force.
Old French garison comes from garir, to protect, of Germanic origin. Guard, ward and warn come from the same protecting.
Proto-Indo-European
*wer-
Old French
garison
Middle English
garisoun
English, today
garrison
From Middle English garisoun, garysoun, from Old French garison, guarison, from guarir + -ison, ultimately of gem origin; thus a a doublet of warison. Compare guard, ward; the modern meaning is influenced by (now obsolete) garnison.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA