| 释义 |
infantry|ˈɪnfəntrɪ|
Also 6–7 -terie, -ery, 7 -trie, (-ree).
[a. F. infanterie, ad. It. (Sp., Pg.) infanteria foot-soldiery, f. infante a youth, foot-soldier:—L. infāntem infant n.1 For the development of the It. infante cf. the apocopated form fante ‘a man or woman servant or attendant; also, a footman or soldier seruing on foot; also the knaue or varlet at cards’ (Florio); cf. also the history of footman, groom, knave, knight, lad, etc. By Sylvester stressed (ɪnˈfæntərɪ). Sense 2 is from infant n.1 sense 1.]
1. The body of foot-soldiers; foot-soldiers collectively; that part of an army which consists of men who march and manœuvre on foot and are armed with small arms, now a rifle.
mounted infantry, soldiers who are mounted for the sake of transit, but who fight on foot. (Cf. dragoon in original sense.)
1579Fenton Guicciard. (1618) 256 Which rendred the infantery of Italy infamous through all Europe. 16..Sylvester Bethulia's Rescue ii. 428 Covering far and nigh, The Plains with Horse, Hills with Infanterie. 1605Play Stucley 2626 in Simpson Sch. Shaks. (1878) I. 263 All Portingales brave Infantries slain. 1612Bacon Ess., Greatn. Kingd. (Arb.) 476 Take away the middle people, and you take away the infantery, which is the nerue of an Armie. 1667Milton P.L. i. 575 That small infantry Warr'd on by Cranes. 1709Steele & Addison Tatler No. 18 ⁋6 The private Gentlemen of the Infantry will be able to shift for themselves. 1847James Convict xvi, A small but compact body of infantry advanced at the charge with fixed bayonets. 1856Stanley Sinai & Pal. ii. 133 The Israelites were a nation of infantry.
fig.1598B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. ii. ii, Your poor infantry, your decayed, ruinous, worm-eaten gentlemen of the round.
2. Infants collectively, or as a body. Now jocular.
1613–16W. Browne Brit. Past. ii. i, No carefull nurse would wet her watchfull eye When any pang should gripe her infantry. 1634A. Huish Hymn, All glorie, laud, and praise to Thee, Christ our Redeemer and our King; To whom the youngly infantree Did their devout hosanna sing. 1663Needham Disc. Schools 2 The little dirty Infantry, which swarms up and down in Alleys and Lanes. 1701C. Wolley Jrnl. New York (1860) 58 If the case be so, the minors and infantry of the best Families might wish they had been born in Kent. 1847Blackw. Mag. LXII. 264/1 The swarms of bare-legged and flaxen-haired infantry. 1863Reader 1 Aug. 100 There was one A.B.C. book, or pretty nearly one, for the whole ‘infantry’ of the country.
3. attrib., as infantry brigade, infantry corps, infantry regiment, etc.
1813Wellington Let. to Sir G. Collier 19 Aug. in Gurw. Desp. XI. 15 A letter..directing that the Infantry now in the horse ships at Bilbao may be removed to the Infantry ships. 1897Daily News 15 Mar. 6/5 The Mounted Infantry Corps, now an established and highly valued arm of the Service. |