ranksmann.
/ˈraŋksmən/, U.S. /ˈræŋksmən/ 1. Military. A member of the ranks; a rank and file soldier.
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society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > common soldier > [noun]
soldiera1300
sergeantc1300
private soldier1566
common soldier1569
private man1651
man1690
(private) centinel1710
single sentinel1721
private1775
single soldier1816
troop1832
ranksman1845
dog soldier1852
ranker1890
other rank1904
mucko1917
squaddie1933
craftsman1942
peon1957
grunt1969
troopie1972
1845 C. E. Wright Wyoming i. 50/1 Where officer and ranksman become alike the subjects of panic, he whose courage or coolness predominates..is permitted to lay hold of the helm.
1898 T. Hardy Wessex Poems 89 Hosts of ranksmen round.
1913 Janesville (Wisconsin) Daily Gaz. 15 Feb. 1/2 A general movement of rebel forces towards Juarez was begun early today according to ranksmen arriving here.
1972 J. Silkin Out of Battle (1978) 51 I think that ‘Men who March Away’ is the most arid poem in the book, besides being untrue of the sentiments of the ranksman going to war.
1987 P. Parker Old Lie 164 The rewards for those who did well in such attacks were also differentiated: a Military Cross for the officer; a Military Medal for the ranksman.
2. Scottish (chiefly Shetland). In plural: the crew of a fishing boat working together with another (or others). Also in singular: either of two boats working in this way.
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1880 Jamieson's Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. (new ed.) Ranksmen, a name given to two or more boats' crews fishing together and dividing the catch equally. Shetl.
1898 Shetland News in Sc. National Dict. (1967) VII. 348/2 Takkin' your aer—a saxern aer, i' your haand, an' kjaempin' fornenst a ranksman, frae da shore ta da deep water... ‘Men, I see a boat!’ ‘Wir ranksmen,’ Paetie said.
1914 J. S. Angus Gloss. Shetland Dial. (at cited word) Ranksman, one of two boats which keep company at sea for companionship or for help in case of need.
1978 A. Fenton Northern Isles lxvi. 576 Quite often, boats going to the distant or ‘fram’ haaf went in pairs, the second boat being called the ranksman.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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