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rearguard

UK/ˈɹɪəɹˌɡɑɹd/US/ˈɹɪəɹˌɡɑɹd/
nounC2Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,004 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: rearguards

The rearguard is the troops who protect the back of an army. Fight a rearguard action, the rearguard held, cover the rearguard.

A rearguard action is the standing phrase and means a fight to slow the enemy while the rest withdraw, which is why it also means a doomed defence of a lost position.

Sgt. Terika S. King · Public domain

Definitions of rearguard

  1. 1nounrearguardThe troops who protect the back of an army.C2

    “The rearguard held off the enemy while the rest of the army crossed the river.”

rearguard is a force.

Where it comes from

Old French rereguarde is rear plus guard.

  1. Old French

    rereguarde

  2. Middle French

    rieregarde

  3. Anglo-Norman

    reregard,reregarde,rereguarde

  4. Middle English

    rier garde

  5. English, today

    rearguard

Built from

  • rere · Old French — after; behind
  • guarde · Old French — guard

From Middle English rier garde, from Anglo-Norman reregard,reregarde,rereguarde and Middle French rieregarde, from Old French rereguarde (attested in The Song of Roland, 1150), from rere (“after; behind”) + guarde (“guard”). by surface analysis, rear + guard. retrogarde.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in A Song of Ice and Fire

Practise this word

rearguard in the wild

  • Sanborn skirmished with Price's rearguard that night, but disengaged without participating in heavy combat.

    Battle of Marais des Cygnes

  • A rearguard action by Confederate Brigadier General John B.

    Battle of Marais des Cygnes

  • During the engagement, the Canadian rearguard successfully repelled Boer assaults against the column, facilitating the successful withdrawal of the British-Canadian force from the area.

    Battle of Leliefontein

  • Pyotr Bagration's rearguard defended against the advancing French troops and allowed the Russian troops to retreat.

    Battle of Amstetten

  • The rearguard also consisted of Michael von Kienmayer's Austrians.

    Battle of Amstetten

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the rere family

rarerarely

rearguard — used about once every 33,333 pages · #14,004 · point at the bar for the others