quisling
[ kwiz-ling ]
/ ˈkwɪz lɪŋ /
noun
a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government; fifth columnist.
RELATED WORDS
sympathizer, deserter, double-crosser, turncoat, betrayer, defector, collaborator, Judas, two-timer, colluder
Nearby words
- quirk,
- quirky,
- quirt,
- quis custodiet ipsos custodes?,
- quis separabit?,
- quisling, vidkun,
- quist,
- quit,
- quit while one's ahead,
- quit-rent
Origin of quisling
1940; after Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945), pro-Nazi Norwegian leader
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for quisling
He also attacked what he called "quisling Republicans" currently in the Senate.
Stan was beginning to get the idea that the Dutch Quisling disliked the military.
A Yankee Flier Over Berlin|Al AveryStan resolved that he was going to be one guest who fooled the Dutch Quisling.
A Yankee Flier Over Berlin|Al AveryThose who were destined for execution as soon as a quisling government was formed, were also not entitled to depart on the liner.
Talents, Incorporated|William Fitzgerald Jenkins
quisling
/ (ˈkwɪzlɪŋ) /
noun
a traitor who aids an occupying enemy force; collaborator
Word Origin for quisling
C20: after Major Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945), Norwegian collaborator with the Nazis
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
quisling
1940, from Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), Norwegian fascist politician who headed the puppet government during the German occupation of Norway in World War II; shot for treason after German defeat. First used in London Times of April 15, 1940, in a Swedish context.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper