landsknecht

[ German lahnts-knekht ]

/ German ˈlɑntsˌknɛxt /

noun

a European mercenary foot soldier of the 16th century, armed with a pike or halberd.

Nearby words

Also lansquenet.

Origin of landsknecht

From German; see origin at land, 's¹, knight

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

Examples from the Web for landsknecht

The rascal was actually teaching me Landsknecht, and I was obliged to pretend to learn from him.
Tales From Jkai|Mr Jkai
In the 15th and 16th centuries the infantry soldiers (Swiss or landsknecht) carried a heavy poniard or dagger.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8|Various
Guinegate was the dbut of the Landsknecht infantry as Nancy was that of the Swiss, and the lesson could not be misread.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 5|Various
This name is derived from the German 'landsknecht' ('valet of the fief'), applied to a mercenary soldier.
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims|Andrew Steinmetz

They represent the first germs of the "Landsknecht" profession, the shame and curse of the Germans.
The Origin of the Family Private Property and the State|Frederick Engels

British Dictionary definitions for landsknecht

landsknecht

/ (ˈlæntskəˌnɛkt) /

noun

a mercenary foot soldier in late 15th-, 16th-, and 17th-century Europe, esp a German pikeman

Word Origin for landsknecht

German, literally: landknight

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