cannon fodder

American  

noun

1. soldiers, especially infantrymen, who run the greatest risk of being wounded or killed in warfare.

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cannon fodder British  

noun

1. men regarded as expendable because they are part of a huge army

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Etymology

Origin of cannon fodder

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Remember, the Revolutionary Guard was founded to provide cannon fodder during the Iraq-Iran War.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

Brenda Doherty: 'My mummy was not cannon fodder'

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2023

“If they need more cannon fodder, that is what they’ll be doing,” he said.

From Washington Times • Nov. 13, 2022

In 1912, my grandfather fled to the United States to avoid becoming cannon fodder for the army of the czar.

From Washington Post • Sep. 30, 2022

But some day that doctrine may spread from the exalted and sacred circle in which it is now the guiding star to the "cannon fodder."

From A Surgeon in Belgium by Souttar, Henry Sessions