Swiss Guard

noun

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

Swiss Guard

noun

1. the bodyguard of the pope, recruited from Swiss nationals

2. a member of this bodyguard

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Swiss Guard¹

First recorded in 1690–1700

Example Sentences

The Pope's body is guarded by members of the Vatican's Swiss Guard.

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In one, Francis is shown on a ladder playing a game of tic tac toe, using peace signs for the zeroes, as a Swiss Guard peers around the corner to keep watch.

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“There’s only one group that’s allowed to wear a uniform at the Vatican — the Swiss Guard,” he said.

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The Swiss Guard is an armed military force that has been protecting the pope and the Apostolic Palace within the territory of Vatican City since 1506.

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He joked that he covered his eyes at a painting in the Swiss Guard’s headquarters of the 14th-century battles of Morgarten and Sempach, which helped bounce his family out of Switzerland.

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