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firing squad

See more synonyms for firing squad on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a military detachment assigned to execute a condemned person by shooting.
  2. a military detachment assigned to fire a salute at the burial of a person being honored.
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Origin of firing squad

First recorded in 1900–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for firing squad

Historical Examples

  • At the foot of the Hill of the Bells the firing-squad awaited them.

    Diplomatic Days

    Edith O'Shaughnessy

  • The calmest man in all Manila that day was he who must stand before the firing-squad.

  • He was caught and met his deserts before a firing-squad in the Tower.

    The Cup of Fury

    Rupert Hughes

  • Before going out at dawn to face the firing-squad he was calm.

    Now It Can Be Told

    Philip Gibbs

  • He moved with the dignity of a hero who marches towards a wall to meet the bullets of a firing-squad.

British Dictionary definitions for firing squad

firing squad

noun
  1. a small military detachment formed to implement a death sentence by shooting
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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