garrison

noun gar·ri·son \ ˈger-ə-sən , ˈga-rə- \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: garrison in a Sentence

Definition of garrison

1 : a military post; especially : a permanent military installation

2 : the troops stationed at a garrison

See garrison defined for English-language learners

See garrison defined for kids

Examples of garrison in a Sentence

a garrison of 5,000 men

Recent Examples of garrison from the Web

An Ecuadorean restaurant worker making a delivery to an Army garrison in Brooklyn wound up being detained June 1 after a routine background check at the gate revealed there was a warrant for his arrest for immigration law violations, officials said.

— claudia torrens, chicagotribune.com, "Army base calls immigration agents on pizza delivery man," 7 June 2018
Spanish-language publications El Diario NY and Telemundo 47, as well as other outlets, reported that Pablo Villavicencio, originally from Ecuador, was arrested on Friday while delivering an order at Fort Hamilton garrison in south Brooklyn.

— CBS News, "Undocumented immigrant arrested while trying to deliver pizza to military base," 6 June 2018
Then May and June, too, a surprisingly long time for the castle garrison to hold out against the size and resources of the besieging English.

— william gurstelle, Popular Mechanics, "The Legend of Ludgar the War Wolf, King of the Trebuchets," 1 May 2017
The entire Japanese garrison died from fighting or suicide except for 28 who surrendered.

— peter porco, Anchorage Daily News, "When Japan invaded Alaska: What you need to know about the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Attu," 15 May 2018
There would be many more garrisons, with armies and uniforms changing over time.

— sig christenson, San Antonio Express-News, "Celebration of S.A. military coming to a rejuvenated Fort Sam," 3 May 2018
There, a hundred royal carpenters spent months erecting the machines under the anxious gaze of the Scots garrison inside.

— william gurstelle, Popular Mechanics, "The Legend of Ludgar the War Wolf, King of the Trebuchets," 1 May 2017
In critical condition, Yousafzai was flown to the garrison city of Rawalpindi before being airlifted to Birmingham in Britain.

— muir ahmed and sherin zada, The Christian Science Monitor, "Malala returns home with promise to continue fighting for girls' education," 29 Mar. 2018
Mark Dombroski, a freshman at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, was found dead Monday in a dry moat at Fort Prospect, the former home of a British infantry garrison.

— eliie kaufman, CNN, "Pathologist says US student visiting Bermuda died from fall," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'garrison.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of garrison

Middle English garisoun "wealth, gift, tribute, protection, fortified place, body of soldiers," borrowed from Anglo-French garisun "protection, cure, income, supplies," from garir "to support, protect, cure" (going back to Old Low Franconian *warjan "to defend, prevent," going back to Germanic *warjan-) + -isun, deverbal noun suffix, going back to Latin -ītiōn-, -ītiō, from -ī-, verb stem formative + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at weir

Note: The Middle English sense "fortified place, body of soldiers" reflects confusion with Middle English garnisoun and Anglo-French garnisun "fortified place, body of armed men stationed in such a place," from Anglo-French garnir "to give notice, equip, arm, fortify" (see ¹garnish) + the same suffix seen in garisun.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

garrison

verb

Definition of garrison

garrisoned; garrisoning play \ˈger-ə-s(ə-)niŋ, ˈga-rə-\

transitive verb

1 : to station troops in

2 a : to assign as a garrison

b : to occupy with troops

See garrison defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of garrison from the Web

A few days later, past midnight, a dozen outgunned American ships, including Juneau, intercepted a Japanese armada approaching the island to bombard its critical airfield and the beleaguered U.S. Marines garrisoned there.

— chris stirewalt, Fox News, "The House is revolting," 25 May 2018
Brennan’s version of Moscow is Vershinin (a charismatic Chiké Johnson), commander of the troops garrisoned in town and quixotic seeker – in a play filled with them, each one given texture by Brown’s excellent ensemble – for the meaning of existence.

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'Three Sisters' yearn for a better life, against the odds," 14 Aug. 2017
A fortress built between the 11th and 14th century helped the friars withstand pirates, Saracen attacks and occupation by Spanish raiders, until Louis XIV garrisoned the island in the 1600s.

— jennifer ladonne, CNN, "Cannes day trips: The island retreats of Îles de Lérins," 24 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of garrison

derivative of ¹garrison

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1569

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

Garrison

biographical name Gar·ri·son \ ˈger-ə-sən , ˈga-rə-sən \

Definition of Garrison

William Lloyd 1805–1879 American abolitionist

GARRISON Defined for English Language Learners

garrison

noun

Definition of garrison for English Language Learners

: a military camp, fort, or base
: a group of soldiers who are living at a garrison

garrison

verb

Definition of garrison for English Language Learners

: to send soldiers to (a place) in order to defend it
: to send (soldiers) to live in and defend a place

GARRISON Defined for Kids

garrison

noun gar·ri·son \ ˈger-ə-sən \

Definition of garrison for Students

1 : a military camp, fort, or base

2 : the soldiers stationed at a garrison

garrison

verb

Definition of garrison for Students

garrisoned; garrisoning

1 : to station troops in

The fort was only temporarily garrisoned.

2 : to send (troops) to live in and defend

It became necessay to garrison troops in the town.

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See words that rhyme with garrison Spanish Central: Translation of garrison Nglish: Translation of garrison for Spanish speakers

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garrison

Definition of garrison

Examples of garrison in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of garrison

Other Military Terms

garrison

Definition of garrison

Recent Examples of garrison from the Web

Origin and Etymology of garrison

Other Military Terms

Garrison

Definition of Garrison

GARRISON Defined for English Language Learners

garrison

Definition of garrison for English Language Learners

garrison

Definition of garrison for English Language Learners

GARRISON Defined for Kids

garrison

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garrison

Definition of garrison for Students

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