foreign legion

noun

a military unit consisting of foreign volunteers in the service of a state.

(initial capital letters) a specialized military unit of the French army, consisting of volunteers of all nationalities assigned to military operations and duties outside France.

Origin of foreign legion

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

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

British Dictionary definitions for foreign legion

foreign legion

noun

a body of foreign volunteers serving in an army, esp that of France

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