franc-tireur

American  

[frahn-tee-rœr] / frɑ̃ tiˈrœr /

noun

French.

plural

francs-tireurs

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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Etymology

Origin of franc-tireur

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

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

The franc-tireur in charge of the wine-bin watches us complaisantly from his counter where he sits flanked by flasks of Hoboken chianti and a case of brittle cigars.

From Shandygaff by Morley, Christopher

So you see probably the first shot fired in this war was fired at us by a franc-tireur.

From Paths of Glory Impressions of War Written at and Near the Front by Cobb, Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury)

I stand like a solitary franc-tireur at the outposts, and fight for my own hand.

From Ghosts by Archer, William

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