armistice

[ahr-muh-stis]

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noun

a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties; truce: World War I ended with the armistice of 1918.

Origin of armistice

1655–65; < French < Medieval Latin armistitium, equivalent to Latin armi- (combining form of arma arm²) + -stitium a stopping (stit- (variant stem of sistere to stop; see stand) + -ium -ium)

Related formspost·ar·mi·stice, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for armistice

truce, ceasefire, suspension, treaty

Examples from the Web for armistice

Contemporary Examples of armistice

Life along the Armistice line showcases some of the worst excesses of both sides.
The Gaza War Has Left Jerusalem More Divided Than Ever
Peter Schwartzstein
August 24, 2014
By the time the Armistice was signed in 1918, a British woman aged 16-32 stood only a one-in-ten chance of marriage.
The Tragic, Heroic Women of World War I
Jacqueline Winspear
June 29, 2014
After the Armistice, Brazier hosted one of her popular pig roasts at Col de la Luère, hiring a clown and a marching band.
The Queen of the French Kitchen
Katie Baker
March 26, 2014
The fighting had stopped with nothing more solid than an armistice.
Between Two Catastrophes: Look at Syria, and Question Everyone's Stories about 1948
Gershom Gorenberg
September 23, 2013
Legal jurisdiction would go in accordance with the 1949 armistice agreement.
Two States With Open Borders
Geoffrey Levin
March 13, 2013

Historical Examples of armistice

November 1st, Turkey was forced by Russia to agree to an armistice of eight weeks.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
On the 9th, Nelson landed again, to conclude the terms of the armistice.
The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson
Robert Southey
A difficulty arose respecting the duration of the armistice.
The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson
Robert Southey
The spring is coming on, and the armistice is only a trap laid for the Prussians.
A Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales
Guy De Maupassant
When the Armistice had come the Belgian Government tried to thank him.
Herbert Hoover
Vernon Kellogg

British Dictionary definitions for armistice

armistice

noun

an agreement between opposing armies to suspend hostilities in order to discuss peace terms; truce

Word Origin for armistice

C18: from New Latin armistitium, from Latin arma arms + sistere to stop, stand still

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

Word Origin and History for armistice

1707, from French armistice (1680s), coined on the model of Latin solstitium (see solstice), etc., from Latin arma "arms" (see arm (n.2)) + -stitium (used only in compounds), from sistere "cause to stand" (see assist).

The word is attested in English from 1660s in the Latin form armistitium. German Waffenstillstand is a loan-translation from French. Armistice Day (1919) marked the end of the Great War of 1914-18 on Nov. 11, 1918. In Britain, after World War II, it merged with Remembrance Day. In U.S., Armistice Day became a national holiday in 1926. In 1954, to honor World War II and Korean War veterans as well, it was re-dubbed Veterans Day.