enemy alien

[ en-uh-mee ey-lee-uhn, eyl-yuhn ]

/ ˈɛn ə mi ˈeɪ li ən, ˈeɪl yən /

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noun

a person residing in a country at war with the country of which they are a citizen.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of enemy alien

First recorded in 1945–50

Enemy alien or not, Madame Misel was certainly very thoughtful to want to take the trouble for the pet.
Molly Brown's College Friends|Nell Speed
Still, she was surprised and hurt to find herself described as “an enemy alien.”
Good Old Anna|Marie Belloc Lowndes
The President by proclamation extended enemy alien restrictions to women also.
Current History, Vol. VIII, No. 3, June 1918|Various
Government had investigated his activities; Government had found nothing for which to order his internment as an enemy alien.
The Crimson Tide|Robert W. Chambers

In Halle the police forbade a performance because one of those who took part was an “enemy alien.”
The Better Germany in War Time|Harold Picton