poilu

[pwah-loo, pwa-ly]

noun

plural

poilus 

1. a French common soldier.

poilu

/ ˈpwɑːluː, pwaly /

noun

1. an infantryman in the French Army, esp one in the front lines in World War I

Word History and Origins

Origin of poilu¹

1910–15; < French, in earlier slang: tough individual, tough, brave, literally, hairy, haired; Middle French, Old French pelu ( plew ) < Vulgar Latin *pilūtus, equivalent to Latin pil ( us ) hair + Vulgar Latin *-ūtus, for Latin -ātus -ate ¹ ( e > oi by influence of poil hair < Latin pilus )

Word History and Origins

Origin of poilu¹

C20: from French, literally: hairy (that is, virile), from poil hair, from Latin pilus a hair

Example Sentences

For their part, the poilus must have heard rumors of an evacuation.

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The poilu thought it might be a new trick of the Germans.

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Just as we departed I received an imposing-looking missive written in flowery English, which proved to be a letter from a French poilu.

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One place, I comes across several scores of poilus—on their permissions similar—squatting on the ground and doing—what do you suppose?

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Bless you! the poilus did the eating; I only did the seasoning and tasting.

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