lancer
/ˈlɑːnsə
/noun
1 historical A soldier of a cavalry regiment armed with lances.If at that moment, the swordsman lunges, forcing the lance to the outside, he is safe and the lancer is at his mercy....
- In fact, the lancers were a minority of those who charged: only one regiment of lancers, but two each of hussars and light dragoons.
- But when free of the classroom, he transforms himself into the role of the leader of an elite corps of Polish lancers in Napoleon's army.
1.1 (Lancer) A soldier of a regiment originally armed with lances: the Queen’s Royal Lancers...
- From column commander in South Africa he graduated to command the 5th Lancers, 4th Cavalry Brigade, and then became inspector general of Cavalry in 1910.
- He spent the war years as a Regimental Officer, 9th Lancers, then, when invalided out in 1944, as instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
- The smart regiments in the Indian army were the guys with the Lancers and the Gurkhas.
2 (lancers) [treated as singular] A quadrille for eight or sixteen pairs.She whirls by in the Valse, or glides in front of them in the Lancers....
- I just went to Thomson's around the time of the First War where they learned you quadrilles and lancers.
- The Lancers Quadrille was full of grace, with its salutes and its bows, its slow and solemn movement.
Origin
Late 16th century: from French lancier, from lance 'a lance'.