infantry

in·fan·try

noun \ˈin-fən-trē\

plural in·fan·tries

Definition of INFANTRY

1

a : soldiers trained, armed, and equipped to fight on foot

b : a branch of an army composed of these soldiers

2

: an infantry regiment or division

Examples of INFANTRY

1. He joined the infantry after leaving school.

Origin of INFANTRY

Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French infanterie, from Old Italian infanteria, from infante boy, foot soldier, from Latin infant-, infans

First Known Use: 1579

infantry

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Troops who fight on foot. The term applies both to soldiers armed with hand weapons such as the spear and sword in ancient times and to troops armed with automatic rifles and rocket launchers in modern times. Their objective has always been to seize and hold ground and, when necessary, to occupy enemy territory. Apart from the temporary dominance of cavalry in the feudal period, it has been the largest single element in Western armies since ancient times.