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brigade

[bri-geyd]
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. a group of individuals organized for a particular purpose: a fire brigade; a rescue brigade.
  4. bucket brigade.
  5. 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), bri·gad·ed, bri·gad·ing.
  1. to form into a brigade.
  2. to group together.
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Origin of brigade

1630–40; < French < Old Italian brigata company of soldiers, orig. group, band, equivalent to brig(are) probably to associate (with), be together (obsolete sense) (see brigand) + -ata -ade1
Related formsin·ter·bri·gade, adjectivesub·bri·gade, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for brigading

Historical Examples of brigading

  • In fact, anticipating this very emergency, brigading with the British had already been begun.

    With the Doughboy in France

    Edward Hungerford

  • In brigading the regiments no attention whatever was paid to the race or color of the men.

British Dictionary definitions for brigading

brigade

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 taska rescue brigade
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verb (tr)
  1. to organize into a brigade
  2. to put or group together
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Word Origin for brigade

C17: from Old French, from Old Italian, from brigare to fight, perhaps of Celtic origin; see brigand
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 brigading

brigade

n.

"subdivision of an army," 1630s, from French brigade "body of soldiers" (14c.), from Italian brigata "troop, crowd, gang," from brigare "brawl, fight," from briga "strife, quarrel," perhaps of Celtic (cf. Gaelic brigh, Welsh bri "power") or Germanic origin.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper