FLANKER

flanker

(noun) a soldier who is a member of a detachment assigned to guard the flanks of a military formation

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

flanker (plural flankers)

(rugby) A player who plays in the back row of the scrum.

(American football) A wide receiver who lines up behind the line of scrimmage.

(military) A fortification or soldier projecting so as to defend another work or to command the flank of an assailing body.

Hyponyms

• blindside flanker

• openside flanker

Verb

flanker (third-person singular simple present flankers, present participle flankering, simple past and past participle flankered)

(obsolete) To defend by lateral fortifications.

(obsolete) To attack sideways.

Anagrams

• Falkner, Frankel

Source: Wiktionary


Flank"er, n.

Definition: One who, or that which, flanks, as a skirmisher or a body of troops sent out upon the flanks of an army toguard a line of march, or a fort projecting so as to command the side of an assailing body. They threw out flankers, and endeavored to dislodge their assailants. W. Irwing.

Flank"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flankered; p. pr. & vb. n. Flankering.] Etym: [See Flank, v. t.]

1. To defend by lateral fortifications. [Obs.] Sir T. Herbert.

2. To attack sideways. [Obs.] Evelyn.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

7 February 2025

STORY

(noun) a piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events; “he writes stories for the magazines”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.

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