landsknecht

[ German lahnts-knekht ]

/ German ˈlɑntsˌknɛxt /

noun

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

QUIZZES

How Hip Is Your Lingo? Take Our Slang Quiz!

If you aren’t already skilled in slang, then this quiz can get you up to speed in no time!

Question 1 of 11

OK Boomer can be perceived as pejorative, but it is mostly considered to be _____

a slang word for astronauts that originated in the 1950s.

a comment toward the Baby Boomer generation that is humorous or ironic in usage.

an obsolete slang term about people who speak loudly.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also lansquenet.

Origin of landsknecht

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

Words nearby landsknecht

landseer, landshark, landshut, landside, landskip, landsknecht, landslide, landsman, landsmanshaft, landsmål, landsteiner

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences 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