| 释义 |
A forlorn hope
| (Mil.) | a body of men (called in F. enfants perdus, in G. verlornen posten) selected, usually from volunteers, to attempt a breach, scale the wall of a fortress, or perform other extraordinarily perilous service; also, a desperate case or enterprise. |
See also: Forlorn a forlorn hope
forlorn hope1. An undertaking that seems very unlikely to succeed. This plan you have is a forlorn hope and will never work out the way you want.2. A group of soldiers sent on an extremely dangerous mission. The phrase comes from the Dutch verloren hoop, meaning "lost troop." Have you heard anything from the forlorn hope yet? Did they reach their target?See also: forlorn, hopea forlorn hope a faint remaining hope or chance; a desperate attempt. This expression developed in the mid 16th century from the Dutch expression verloren hoop ‘lost troop’. The phrase originally denoted a band of soldiers picked to begin an attack, many of whom would not survive; the equivalent French phrase is enfants perdus ‘lost children’. The current sense, which dates from the mid 17th century, arose from a misunderstanding of the etymology.See also: forlorn, hope |