GI Joe

American  

noun

1. an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army, especially in World War II.

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GI Joe British  

noun

1. informal a US enlisted soldier; a GI

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GI Joe Cultural  

1. A nickname for United States soldiers, particularly during World War II. GI is short for g overnment i ssue, a descriptive term for supplies distributed by the government.

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Etymology

Origin of GI Joe

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

His name was GI Joe, and he was one of the eight recipients of a new charity-sponsored medal of bravery for American war animals.

From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2019

The kid talked a mile a minute, explaining to Ned what everything was, how to make a fishing pole out of the Legos, how to get GI Joe into his tank.

From Salon • Sep. 26, 2018

Thomas decided to confront it as an artist, recreating the killing using GI Joe figures for Winter in America, a 2005 collaboration with Kambui Olujimi.

From The Guardian • Oct. 10, 2017

“It really just came down to this — I knew what I wanted to do. Running around the woods playing GI Joe, forcing myself to sleep outside - that was my passion.”

From Washington Times • Apr. 29, 2017

On its most basic level, it's my childhood fantasy of GI Joe come to life.

From The Verge • Sep. 24, 2015