grenadier

grenadier
—grenadierial, adj. —grenadierly, adv. —grenadiership, n.
/gren'euh dear"/, n.
1. (in the British army) a member of the first regiment of household infantry (Grenadier Guards).
2. (formerly) a specially selected foot soldier in certain elite units.
3. (formerly) a soldier who threw grenades.
4. Also called rat-tail, rat tail. any of several deep-sea fishes of the family Macrouridae, having an elongated, tapering tail.
[1670-80; < F; see GRENADE, -IER2]

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▪ fish
also called  Rat-tail or Rattail,  

      any of about 300 species of abundant deep-sea fishes of the family Macrouridae found along the ocean bottom in warm and temperate regions. The typical grenadier is a large-headed fish with a tapered body ending in a long, ratlike tail bordered above and below by the anal and second dorsal fins. The eyes are large, and the mouth is on the underside of the head. The often extended snout presumably aids in rooting about the bottom for food. Some species have light organs, and some can produce sounds by means of paired muscles attached to the swim bladder. The fish is usually about 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 feet) long.

 soldier particularly selected and trained to hurl grenades (grenade). The earliest grenadiers (late 16th century) were not organized in special units, but by the mid-17th century they formed special companies within battalions. Exceptional strength and courage were needed for hurling the grenade, and accidents were not uncommon. Grenadiers earned higher pay, received special privileges, and were distinguished by their height, dashing uniform, and tall, mitre-shaped headdress (shako). Armed with heavy hatchets for chopping through barricades and other obstructions, they were employed particularly in siege and trench warfare.

      During the 18th century there was a gradual decline in the use of grenades, but grenadiers were retained as elite troops. The gradual adoption throughout Europe of the four-company battalion progressively encouraged the recruitment of separate grenadier formations, but their duties had come to differ little from those of the ordinary regiments of the line. Horse grenadiers made a brief appearance in the British and Belgian forces. In World War I, battalion subunits were trained both to throw hand grenades and to fire rifle grenades. The grenadier has since disappeared as a special type of infantryman, and the term has become obsolete save in historical names such as the Grenadier Guards.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Grenadier — Gren a*dier , n. [F. grenadier. See {Grenade}.] 1. (Mil.) Originaly, a soldier who carried and threw grenades; afterward, one of a company attached to each regiment or battalion, taking post on the right of the line, and wearing a peculiar… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Grenadier — Sm erw. obs. (17. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus frz. grenadier Fußsoldat , ursprünglich ein mit Granaten kämpfender Soldat .    Ebenso nndl. grenadier, ne. grenadier, nfrz. grenadier, nschw. grenadjär, nnorw. grenader; Granate. ✎ DF 1 (1913), 255 …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • grenadier — 1670s, originally soldiers who were dexterous in flinging hand granados [Evelyn], from Fr. grenadier (15c.), from M.Fr. grenade “grenade” (see GRENADE (Cf. grenade)); later the tallest and finest men in the regiment [OED] …   Etymology dictionary

  • Grenadier — Grenadier: Die Bezeichnung für »Fußsoldat, Infanterist« wurde im 17. Jh. aus gleichbed. frz. grenadier entlehnt, das ursprünglich »Handgranatenwerfer« bedeutete. Das zugrunde liegende Substantiv frz. grenade »Granatapfel‹baum›; Granate«, das… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • grenadier — ► NOUN 1) historical a soldier armed with grenades. 2) (Grenadiers or Grenadier Guards) the first regiment of the royal household infantry …   English terms dictionary

  • grenadier — [gren΄ə dir′] n. [Fr < grenade: see GRENADE] 1. Archaic an infantry soldier employed to carry and throw grenades 2. a member of a special regiment or corps, as of the Grenadier Guards of the British Army, attached to the royal household 3. any …   English World dictionary

  • Grenadier [1] — Grenadier, ursprünglich im 16. Jahrh. zum Werfen der Handgranaten bestimmter Soldat, welcher wegen der Gefahr, die mit der Behandlung dieser Hohlkugeln verknüpft war, besondere Vergünstigungen erhielt. Der schwedische General Lars Kagge vereinte… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Grenadier [2] — Grenadier, 1) (Lepidoleprus Risso, Macrourus Bloch), Gattung der Bandfische Schnauze niedergedrückt, vorstehend, Kieferzähne sein u. kurz, Kopf u. Körper hart u. stachlicht beschuppt, Bauchflosse klein, weit vorn, zweite Rücken u. Afterflosse mit …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • grenadier — {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}rz. mos I, Mc. grenadiererze; lm M. grenadiererzy {{/stl 8}}{{stl 7}} początkowo (w XVII w.) pieszy żołnierz rzucający granaty ręczne, silny, zręczny i odważny, w walce idący na czele kolumn szturmowych, później (poł. XVIII… …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • grenadier — Grenadier. s. m. Arbre qui porte des grenades. On appelle aussi, Grenade, Certain petit boulet de fer creux, fait en forme de grenade, que l on remplit de feu d artifice, & qu on jette avec la main. Jetter des grenades. blessé d un esclat de… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

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