brownshirt

noun

brown·​shirt ˈbrau̇n-ˌshərt How to pronounce brownshirt (audio)
often capitalized
: nazi
especially : storm trooper

Examples of brownshirt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So too Lewis Milestone’s 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front (#45), at least in Germany, where the movie’s antiwar message caused Nazi brownshirts to disrupt screenings and attack movie patrons. J. Hoberman, The New Republic, 22 June 2023 Some elements of the Wolfe collection have already been sold, but the remaining items up for auction Saturday include Hitler’s uniform visor hat, a brownshirt uniform and several medals, including an Iron Cross, Gottlieb said. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2019 Words, as the historian Thucydides warned 2,400 years ago, habitually change their meanings to reflect passing political orthodoxy — and thugs, commissars, and brownshirts oversee the charade. Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017 At the weekend march, the infamous hoods and robes of Klan rallies or brownshirts of neo-Nazis were hard to find, with many dressing like Mr. LaPorte. Ben Kesling, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2017 This is a particularly strange move for someone said to be a modern brownshirt/fascist/crypto-Nazi. William McGurn, WSJ, 23 Jan. 2017 To the top left, a cake version of every brownshirt’s favorite space ship, Serenity, followed by a Yellow Submarine that is just far too beautiful to eat. John Brownlee, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2007 Security forces and brownshirts, working together to crush dissent with brutal violence. Jack Holmes, Esquire, 17 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brownshirt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brownshirt was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near brownshirt

Cite this Entry

“Brownshirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownshirt. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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