Adjacent Words

Battalion definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BATTAL'ION, n. [See Battle.] A body of infantry, consisting of fRomans 500 to 800 men; so called from being originally a body of men arrayed for battle. A battalion is generally a body of troops next below a regiment. Sometimes a battalion composed a regiment; more generally a regiment consists of two or more battalions. Shakespeare used the word for and army.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an army unit usually consisting of a headquarters and three or more companies
2: a large indefinite number; "a battalion of ants"; "a multitude of TV antennas"; "a plurality of religions" [syn: battalion, large number, multitude, plurality, pack]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle French bataillon, from Old Italian battaglione, augmentative of battaglia company of soldiers, battle, from Late Latin battalia combat — more at battle Date: 1579 1. a considerable body of troops organized to act together ; army 2. a military unit composed of a headquarters and two or more companies, batteries, or similar units 3. a large group

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a large body of men ready for battle, esp. an infantry unit forming part of a brigade. 2 a large group of people pursuing a common aim or sharing a major undertaking. Etymology: F battaillon f. It. battaglione f. battaglia BATTLE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Battalion Bat*tal"ion, n. (Mil.) An infantry command of two or more companies, which is the tactical unit of the infantry, or the smallest command which is self-supporting upon the battlefield, and also the unit in which the strength of the infantry of an army is expressed. Note: In the United States army, since April 29, 1898, a battalion consists of four companies, and three battalions form a regiment. The term is also applied to two or more batteries of artillery combined into a single command.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Battalion Bat*tal"ion, n. [F. bataillon, fr. It. battaglione. See Battalia.] 1. A body of troops; esp. a body of troops or an army in battle array. ``The whole battalion views.'' --Milton. 2. (Mil.) A regiment, or two or more companies of a regiment, esp. when assembled for drill or battle.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Battalion Bat*tal"ion, v. t. To form into battalions. [R.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(battalions) 1. A battalion is a large group of soldiers that consists of three or more companies. Anthony was ordered to return to his battalion... He joined the second battalion of the Grenadier Guards. N-COUNT 2. A battalion of people is a large group of them, especially a well-organized, efficient group that has a particular task to do. There were battalions of highly paid publicists to see that such news didn't make the press. = horde N-COUNT: N of n

Moby Thesaurus

KP, age group, army, army group, band, battery, battle group, bevy, body, brigade, bunch, cabal, cadre, cast, clique, cohort, column, combat command, combat team, company, complement, contingent, corps, coterie, covey, crew, crowd, detachment, detail, division, faction, field army, field train, file, fleet, flying column, gang, garrison, group, grouping, groupment, in-group, junta, kitchen police, legion, maniple, mob, movement, organization, out-group, outfit, pack, party, peer group, phalanx, platoon, posse, rank, regiment, salon, section, set, squad, squadron, stable, string, tactical unit, task force, team, train, tribe, troop, troupe, unit, wing