brigade

American  

[bri-geyd] / brɪˈgeɪd /

noun

1. a military unit having its own headquarters and consisting of two or more regiments, squadrons, groups, or battalions.

2. a large body of troops.

3. Digital Technology. cybermob.

4. a group of individuals organized for a particular purpose: a rescue brigade.

   a fire brigade;

   a rescue brigade.

5. bucket brigade.

6. History/Historical. a convoy of canoes, sleds, wagons, or pack animals, especially as used to supply trappers in the 18th- and 19th-century Canadian and U.S. fur trade.

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verb (used with object)

brigaded, brigading

1. to form into a brigade.

2. to group together.

verb (used with or without object)

brigaded, brigading

1. Digital Technology. to engage in online brigading.

brigade British  

/ brɪˈɡeɪd /

noun

1. a formation of fighting units, together with support arms and services, smaller than a division and usually commanded by a brigadier

2. a group of people organized for a certain task

   a rescue brigade

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verb

1. to organize into a brigade

2. to put or group together

Other Word Forms

• interbrigade adjective
• subbrigade noun

Etymology

Origin of brigade

First recorded in 1630–40; from French, from Old Italian brigata “company of soldiers,” originally “group, band,” equivalent to brig(are) probably “to associate (with), be together” (obsolete sense), probably of Celtic origin; brigand + -ata -ade ¹

Example Sentences

The deployment of medical brigades abroad is Cuba's main source of foreign currency, generating $7 billion in 2025, according to official figures.

From Barron's

"Frost, low cloud, fog. In such weather, it is difficult for a drone to fly. It can short-circuit, it can break in the air," said Nazariy, one of the brigade's squad commanders.

From Barron's

Just after 06:00 on 27 December, the fire brigade in Gelsenkirchen and a private security firm received a fire alarm warning from the bank, which may have been triggered by the thieves.

From BBC

The fire brigade had to be called overnight after a burst pipe in the Louvre's Denon wing, which houses some of the museum's most valuable exhibits including the Mona Lisa, according to a statement.

From Barron's

During one scenario, a battle group of several thousand troops, including a British brigade and an Estonian division, sought to conduct an attack.

From The Wall Street Journal