army

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Related to army: air force, navy, Army Rangers

ar·my

(är′mē)

n. pl. ar·mies

a. A large body of people organized and trained for land warfare.

b. often Army The entire military land forces of a country.

c. A tactical and administrative military unit consisting of a headquarters, two or more corps, and auxiliary forces.

2. A large group of people or things, especially when organized for a specific cause or purpose: the construction army that built the Panama Canal; a banquet with an army of waiters. See Synonyms at multitude.

[Middle English armee, from Old French, from Medieval Latin armāta, from Latin, feminine past participle of armāre, to arm, from arma, arms; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

army

(ˈɑːmɪ)

n, pl -mies

1. (Military) the military land forces of a nation

2. (Military) a military unit usually consisting of two or more corps with supporting arms and services

3. (Military) (modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of an army: army rations.

4. any large body of people united for some specific purpose

5. a large number of people, animals, etc; multitude

[C14: from Old French armee, from Medieval Latin armāta armed forces; see armada]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ar•my

(ˈɑr mi)

n., pl. -mies.

1. the military forces of a nation, exclusive of the navy and in some countries the air force.

2. a military unit comprising two or more corps and a headquarters.

3. a large body of persons trained and armed for war.

4. any organized or large group.

[1350–1400; Middle English armee < Middle French < Vulgar Latin *armāta. See arm², -ade¹]

army

1. A formation larger than an army corps but smaller than an army group. It usually consists of two or more army corps.
2. In certain nations "army" is the land component of the armed forces.
3. In certain nations "armee" covers all the armed forces.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

Army, Armies

a collection of men armed for battle; a naval armament, armada, or fleet; a great number of something. See also array, force, host, multitude, troop.

Examples: army of ants; of arguments; of caterpillars, 1611; of idlers, 1855; of locusts, 1857; of lovely looks, 1596; of martyrs, 1543; of misfortunes, 1675; of people, 1500; of pestilence, 1593; naval army [manned with sailors and marines], 1751; sea army [sailors and marines], 1751; army of sins, 1751; of speeches wise, 1596; of waiters, c. 1890; of words, 1628; of good words.

Army

An army, like a snake, goes on its belly —Frederick the Great
Military intelligence has about as much to do with intelligence as military music has to do with music —John Le Carré
Soldiers in peace are like chimneys in summer —John Ray’s Proverbs
The word ‘chimneys’ has been modernized from ‘chimnies.’

army

An army is a large organized group of people who are armed and trained to fight. In British English, after army you can use either a singular or plural form of a verb.

The army is in a high state of readiness.

The army are clearing up quite a bit of the land.

In American English, the singular form of the verb is preferred.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	army - a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state ground forces, regular army legion, host - archaic terms for army army unit - a military unit that is part of an army armed service, military service, service - a force that is a branch of the armed forces armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" army corps, corps - an army unit usually consisting of two or more divisions and their support standing army - a permanent army of paid soldiers Union Army - the northern army during the American Civil War Army of the Confederacy, Confederate Army - the southern army during the American Civil War Continental Army - the American army during the American Revolution
	2.	army - a large number of people united for some specific purpose crowd - a large number of things or people considered together; "a crowd of insects assembled around the flowers"
	3.	Army - the army of the United States of America; the agency that organizes and trains soldiers for land warfare U. S. Army, United States Army, US Army, USA AHPCRC, Army High Performance Computing Research Center - a United States defense laboratory to conduct research in high-performance computing for defense technology applications; a partnership of government and university and industry Defense Department, Department of Defense, DoD, United States Department of Defense, Defense - the federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the United States; created in 1947 CID, Criminal Investigation Command - the United States Army's principal law enforcement agency responsible for the conduct of criminal investigations for all levels of the Army anywhere in the world armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" Special Forces, U. S. Army Special Forces, United States Army Special Forces - a division of the United States Army that is specially trained for guerilla fighting bureau, federal agency, government agency, agency, office, authority - an administrative unit of government; "the Central Intelligence Agency"; "the Census Bureau"; "Office of Management and Budget"; "Tennessee Valley Authority" United States Army Rangers - a specially trained elite unit of the United States Army United States Military Academy, US Military Academy - a school for training men and women to become officers in the United States Army AI, Army Intelligence - an agency of the United States Army responsible for providing timely and relevant and accurate and synchronized intelligence to tactical and operational and strategic level commanders Army National Guard, ARNG - a civilian reserve component of the United States Army comprised of guardsmen who serve during overseas peacekeeping missions and during local emergencies

army

noun

1. soldiers, military, troops, armed force, legions, infantry, military force, land forces, land force, soldiery After returning from abroad, he joined the army.

2. vast number, host, gang, mob, flock, array, legion, swarm, sea, pack, horde, multitude, throng data collected by an army of volunteers

Proverbs
"An army marches on its stomach"

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

army

noun

A very large number of things grouped together:

cloud, crowd, drove, flock, horde, host, legion, mass, mob, multitude, ruck, score (used in plural), swarm, throng.

Translations

جَيْشعَدَد كَبير مَن

armádadavy

hær

Armee Heer MilitärHeeresamt

στρατός

ejército multitud bandada

maavägi

armeijamaavoimat

armée foule

vojska

hadsereghonvédségsereg

herhersing

esercito esèrcito armata castrense

軍隊

군대

exercitus

leger menigte bende horde

armé hær hærskare

armia wojsko

exército

армия армейский воинство войско войсковой

vojskaarmada

armé

กองทัพ

ordu sürü kalabalık

quân đội

军队大群

army

[ˈɑːmɪ]

A. N

1. (Mil) → ejército m
to be in the army → ser militar
to join the army → alistarse

2. (fig) → ejército m, multitud f

B. CPD army chaplain N → capellán m castrense
army corps N → cuerpo m del ejército
army doctor N → médico/a m/f militar
army life N → vida f militar
Army list N → lista f de oficiales del ejército
army of occupation N → ejército m de ocupación
army slang N → argot m militar
army surplus N → excedentes mpl del ejército

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

army

[ˈɑː^rmi] n

(= military force) → armée f army officer

(fig) an army of sth → une armée de qcharmy base n → base f militairearmy officer n → officier m de l'armée de terreA road A-road [ˈeɪrəʊd] n (British) → route f nationale

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

army

→ Armee f, → Heer nt; army of occupation → Besatzungsarmee f; to be in the army → beim Militär sein; (Ger also) → bei der Bundeswehr sein; (Aus also) → beim Bundesheer sein; to join the army → zum Militär gehen

(fig) → Heer nt

(= division) → Armee (→ korps nt) f attr → Militär-; discipline → militärisch; army doctor → Militär- or Stabsarzt m → /-ärztin f; army life → Soldatenleben nt; army officer → Offizier(in) m(f) → in der Armee; an army type (inf) → einer vom Barras (inf) → or Bund (Ger inf)

army

army ant

n → Wanderameise f, → Treiberameise f

army-issue

adj → Armee-; army rifle → Armeegewehr nt

Army List

n (Brit) → Rangliste f

army-surplus

adj → Armee-, Army-; army store → Armee- or Armyladen m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

army

[ˈɑːmɪ] n (Mil) (fig) → esercito
to join the army → arruolarsi

armour

(American) armor (ˈaːmə) noun

1. formerly, a metal suit worn by knights etc as a protection while fighting. a suit of armour.

2. a metal covering to protect ships, tanks etc against damage from weapons.

ˈarmoured adjective

1. (of vehicles etc) protected by armour. an armoured car.

2. made up of armoured vehicles. an armoured division of an army.

ˈarmoury – plural ˈarmouries – noun

the place where weapons are made or kept.

army (ˈaːmi) – plural ˈarmies – noun

1. a large number of men armed and organized for war. The two armies met at dawn.

2. a large number (of people etc). an army of tourists.

army

→ جَيْش armáda hær Militär στρατός ejército armeija armée vojska esercito 軍隊 군대 leger hær armia exército армия armé กองทัพ ordu quân đội 军队

References in classic literature ?

"I command the Army of Revolt in this war," answered the General, with unnecessary sharpness.

"You were not supposed to know it," she returned, "for we have kept it a secret; and considering that our army is composed entirely of girls," she added, with some pride, "it is surely a remarkable thing that our Revolt is not yet discovered."

The Army of Revolt only awaits my coming to march upon the Emerald City."

View in context

So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.

It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two.

View in context

On November 1 Kutuzov had received, through a spy, news that the army he commanded was in an almost hopeless position.

If he reached Znaim before the French, there would be great hope of saving the army; to let the French forestall him at Znaim meant the exposure of his whole army to a disgrace such as that of Ulm, or to utter destruction.

View in context

Formerly, an invading army would penetrate into the heart of a neighboring country almost as soon as intelligence of its approach could be received; but now a comparatively small force of disciplined troops, acting on the defensive, with the aid of posts, is able to impede, and finally to frustrate, the enterprises of one much more considerable.

The smallness of the army renders the natural strength of the community an overmatch for it; and the citizens, not habituated to look up to the military power for protection, or to submit to its oppressions, neither love nor fear the soldiery; they view them with a spirit of jealous acquiescence in a necessary evil, and stand ready to resist a power which they suppose may be exerted to the prejudice of their rights.

View in context

So Grandfather told his auditors, that, on General Washington's arrival at Cambridge, his first care was to reconnoitre the British troops with his spy-glass, and to examine the condition of his own army. He found that the American troops amounted to about fourteen thousand men.

In order to be near the centre and oversee the whole of this wide- stretched army, the commander-in-chief made his headquarters at Cambridge, about half a mile from the colleges.

View in context

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