franc-tireur

American  

[frahn-tee-rœr] / frɑ̃ tiˈrœr /

noun

French.

francs-tireurs plural

1. a sharpshooter in the French army.

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franc-tireur British  

/ frɑ̃tirœr /

noun

1. a sniper

2. a guerrilla or irregular soldier

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• francs-tireurs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of franc-tireur

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

franc-tireur francs-tireurs

A stowaway foretopman on the ship of state; a franc-tireur for the West and Christendom; a Burke, a Roland, a Quixote, with a whiff of Falstaff and a swing of the snickersnee.

From Time Magazine Archive

One of the many nefarious franc-tireur proceedings of the British merchant marine against our war vessels has thus found a belated but merited expiation.

From History of the World War An Authentic Narrative of the World's Greatest War by March, Francis Andrew

CABASSE, a franc-tireur of the woods of Dieulet.

From A Zola Dictionary; the Characters of the Rougon-Macquart Novels of Emile Zola; by Patterson, J. G

That such measures have not been pushed to an extreme by the British authorities is shown by the fact that the captured guerilla has been made a prisoner of war—unlike his prototype, the franc-tireur.

From The War in South Africa Its Cause and Conduct by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir

Tricasse turned his back, and stirred the Bavarian helmet with his boot-toe; the franc-tireur gathered up his spoils, and, at a gesture from Tricasse, carried them down the slope towards the hidden camp.

From Lorraine A romance by Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)

We are not murderers, we francs-tireurs; we are judges.

From The Downfall by Robins, E. P.

At the opening of the French attack, a German officer rushed to the hospital, which was full of wounded, in search of francs-tireurs.

From Towards the Goal by Ward, Humphry, Mrs.

The village people standing at their doors said, "It is the francs-tireurs!"

From The Pl?biscite or, A Miller's Story of the War by Chatrian, Alexandre

Besides, a great many companies of francs-tireurs, or independent sharp-shooters, were organized to interrupt the German communications, and they gave much more trouble than the larger armies.

From A History of Germany From the Earliest Times to the Present Day by Taylor, Bayard

Such non-combatant francs-tireurs in England have done a power of good work.

From The Red Planet by Locke, William John