advance guard

See more synonyms for advance guard on Thesaurus.com

noun

a body of troops going before the main force to clear the way, guard against surprise, etc.

Origin of advance guard

First recorded in 1750–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for advance guard

forefront, innovation, vanguard, advancement, avant-garde, fore, front, invention, pioneer, point, spearhead, van

Examples from the Web for advance guard

Historical Examples of advance guard

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.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 (Vol 27 of 55)
Various
I don't think that there were more than 400 or 500, evidently the advance-guard.
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 2 (of 6)
Louis Creswicke
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

a military unit sent ahead of a main body to find gaps in enemy defences, clear away minor opposition, and prevent unexpected contact
a temporary military detachment sent ahead of a force to prepare for a landing or other operation, esp by making reconnaissance

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