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advance guard

See more synonyms for advance guard on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a body of troops going before the main force to clear the way, guard against surprise, etc.
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Origin of advance guard

First recorded in 1750–60
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for advance guard

Historical Examples

  • The Boers must be close up, for the advance-guard is falling back.

    On the Heels of De Wet

    The Intelligence Officer

  • This advance-guard consisted of his inferior officers and baggage.

    An Explorer's Adventures in Tibet

    A. Henry Savage Landor

  • So he commanded the advance-guard to turn back and go by the other road.

  • I don't think that there were more than 400 or 500, evidently the advance-guard.

  • Then uttering a sharp order, the advance-guard bore off to the left.

    The King's Esquires

    George Manville Fenn

British Dictionary definitions for advance guard

advance guard

noun
  1. a military unit sent ahead of a main body to find gaps in enemy defences, clear away minor opposition, and prevent unexpected contact
  2. a temporary military detachment sent ahead of a force to prepare for a landing or other operation, esp by making reconnaissance
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012