squaddie en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈskwɒd.i/ (UK)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr Proto-Italic *kʷettwōr Latin quattuor ▲ Latin quadrus Latin quadrōbf.? Latin quadrus Vulgar Latin *exquadrō Italian squadraredeverb. Italian squadra French escouadebor. English squad English -ie English squaddie From squad + -ie.
Meanings
-
(Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, slang) A private in the army.
He'll turn out to be a squaddie— a Muslim squaddie. Exactly the kind of victim they're looking for.
2010, Mick Herron, Slow Horses, page 117:Hard men from the high flats and off-dutie squaddies threw back their pints shoulder to shoulder in its spartan public bar.
2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 164:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| squaddy | alternative | lexicographic | |
| squaddies | Number=Plur | lexicographic |