hussar
noun
hus·sar
(ˌ)hə-ˈzär 
-ˈsär
-ˈsär
: a member of any of various European military units originally modeled on the Hungarian light cavalry of the 15th century
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A hussar is a member of a European light-cavalry unit used for scouting; the hussars were modeled on the 15th-century Hungarian light-horse corps. The brilliantly colored Hungarian hussar’s uniform was imitated in other European armies; it consisted of a busby (high, cylindrical cloth cap), a jacket with heavy braiding, and a dolman (loose coat worn hanging from the left shoulder).
Examples of hussar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Without thinking through, thoughts are no more than slogans.
have been thinking recently about Nikolai Rostov, Tolstoy’s young hussar.
—
Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
In a large painting in the dining room, a rabbit stands at attention wearing a crimson Napoleonic War-era hussar uniform.
—Daniel Langhorne, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 May 2024
Well aware that King Sobieski and his army of Polish hussars had saved both Europe and Christendom, the pope awarded the painter the title Knight Commander with Star of the Order of Pius IX.
—Danuta Hamlin, Fox News, 17 June 2023
Csaba Káel, head of Hungary’s National Film Institute (NFI), hopes to emulate an 18th century Magyar hussar hero at this year’s Berlinale European Film Market.
—Nick Holdsworth, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023
Yet Conan Doyle was far prouder of his historical fiction, which included the exploits of the dashing Napoleonic hussar Brig.
—Stephen Brumwell, WSJ, 27 Apr. 2022
The jacket had a hussar’s collar and bracelet-length sleeves—the latter a signature of Jackie Kennedy, as many commentators observed.
—Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2017
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Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
In a large painting in the dining room, a rabbit stands at attention wearing a crimson Napoleonic War-era hussar uniform.
—Daniel Langhorne, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 May 2024
Well aware that King Sobieski and his army of Polish hussars had saved both Europe and Christendom, the pope awarded the painter the title Knight Commander with Star of the Order of Pius IX.
—Danuta Hamlin, Fox News, 17 June 2023
Csaba Káel, head of Hungary’s National Film Institute (NFI), hopes to emulate an 18th century Magyar hussar hero at this year’s Berlinale European Film Market.
—Nick Holdsworth, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023
Yet Conan Doyle was far prouder of his historical fiction, which included the exploits of the dashing Napoleonic hussar Brig.
—Stephen Brumwell, WSJ, 27 Apr. 2022
The jacket had a hussar’s collar and bracelet-length sleeves—the latter a signature of Jackie Kennedy, as many commentators observed.
—Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Hussar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hussar. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hussar
noun
hus·sar
(ˌ)hə-ˈzär
-ˈsär
-ˈsär
: a member of any of various European originally cavalry military units
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