PARTISANS

Noun

partisans

plural of partisan

Anagrams

• aspirants, satin spar, spartinas

Source: Wiktionary

PARTISAN

Par"ti*san, n. Etym: [F., fr. It. partigiano. See Party, and cf. Partisan a truncheon.] [Written also partizan.]

1. An adherent to a party or faction; esp., one who is strongly and passionately devoted to a party or an interest. "The violence of a partisan." Macaulay. Both sides had their partisans in the colony. Jefferson.

2. (Mil.) (a) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy. (b) Any member of such a corps.

Par"ti*san, a. Etym: [Written also partizan.]

1. Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party; as, blinded by partisan zeal.

2. (Mil.)

Definition: Serving as a partisan in a detached command; as, a partisan officer or corps. Partisan ranger (Mil.), a member of a partisan corps.

Par"ti*san, n. Etym: [F. pertuisane, prob. fr. It. partigiana, influenced in French by OF. pertuisier to pierce. It was prob. so named as the weapon of some partisans, or party men. Cf. Partisan one of a corps of light troops.]

Definition: A kind of halberd or pike; also, a truncheon; a staff. And make him with our pikes and partisans a grave. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition