Swiss Guard

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noun

a member of a corps of bodyguards protecting the pope, with membership restricted to natives of Switzerland.

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Origin of Swiss Guard

First recorded in 1690–1700

Words nearby Swiss Guard

Swiss ball, Swiss chard, Swiss cheese, Swiss cheese plant, Swisser, Swiss Guard, Swiss lapis, Swiss muslin, Swiss Re Tower, swiss roll, Swiss steak

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Swiss Guard in a sentence

Francis fired the uncompromising commander of his Swiss Guard.
Is The Pope Unprotected Now That He’s Fired the Head of the Swiss Guards?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even with a new leader, the Swiss Guard army will very likely still do its job.
Is The Pope Unprotected Now That He’s Fired the Head of the Swiss Guards?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In September, Francis told the Swiss Guard and the Gendarme that the only real threats the Vatican faces are from within.
Is The Pope Unprotected Now That He’s Fired the Head of the Swiss Guards?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The case remains a mystery and was the biggest scandal to rock the Swiss Guard.
Vatican’s Pope-Protecting Swiss Guards Accused Of Secret Gay Lobby|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Another theory is that Estermann was at the core of a power struggle within the Swiss Guard itself.
Vatican Murder Mystery: Was It a Gay Love Triangle?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The reactionary clergy have succeeded in getting themselves regarded as the Swiss Guard of the throne.
History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant Theology|John F. Hurst
You are as much mercenaries (sincere mercenaries, I grant) as were the men of the Swiss Guard.
The Iron Heel|Jack London
The Swiss Guard stood firm, and, possibly by accident, a fusillade began.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 2|Various
The palace was held by about six thousand men, of whom some twelve hundred were regulars of the Swiss Guard.
The French Revolution|Hilaire Belloc
And there are the Swiss Guard in Joseph's coat of many colours!
The Eternal City|Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for Swiss Guard

Swiss Guard

noun

the bodyguard of the pope, recruited from Swiss nationals

a member of this bodyguard

one of a group of Swiss mercenaries who acted as bodyguards to the French kings: destroyed in the Revolution

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