maquis

noun

ma·​quis ma-ˈkē 

mä-

plural maquis ma-ˈkē(z) 

mä-

1

: thick scrubby evergreen underbrush of Mediterranean shores

also : an area of such underbrush

2

often capitalized

a

: a guerrilla fighter in the French underground during World War II

b

: a band of maquis

Examples of maquis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The coast is part of the Bandite di Scarlino Nature Reserve—with pristine Tuscan beaches and protected Mediterranean maquis scrub. —Tom Mullen, Forbes, 29 May 2022

The Hanotte matriarch, Georgette, then dressed the men as coal merchants and guided them across the border into the hands of the local French maquis (resistance), who would get the officers to Dunkirk. —Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

French, from Italian macchie, plural of macchia thicket, sketch, spot

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1