landwehr

noun

land·​wehr
ˈläntˌvār
plural -s
: the part of the organized national armed forces (as in the former German and Austrian empires, Japan, Switzerland) that has completed the required service with the colors and constitutes the second line of defense

Word History

Etymology

German, from Middle High German lantwer forces called for defense of the land, from Old High German lantweri defense of the land, from lant land + weri defense

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Cite this Entry

“Landwehr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landwehr. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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