landsknecht
[German lahnts-knekht]
- a European mercenary foot soldier of the 16th century, armed with a pike or halberd.
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Also lansquenet.
Origin of landsknecht
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for landsknecht
Historical Examples
This name is derived from the German 'landsknecht' ('valet of the fief'), applied to a mercenary soldier.
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and VictimsAndrew Steinmetz
The rascal was actually teaching me Landsknecht, and I was obliged to pretend to learn from him.
Tales From JkaiMr Jkai
In the 15th and 16th centuries the infantry soldiers (Swiss or landsknecht) carried a heavy poniard or dagger.
The Landsknecht infantry constituted the mainstay of the imperial armies in the 16th century.
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 StateFrederick Engels
landsknecht
- a mercenary foot soldier in late 15th-, 16th-, and 17th-century Europe, esp a German pikeman
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Word Origin
German, literally: landknight
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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