grenadier

American  

[gren-uh-deer] / ˌgrɛn əˈdɪər /

noun

1. (in the British army) a member of the first regiment of household infantry Grenadier Guards.

2. (formerly) a specially selected foot soldier in certain elite units.

3. (formerly) a soldier who threw grenades.

4. Also called rat-tail.  Also called rattail.  any of several deep-sea fishes of the family Macrouridae, having an elongated, tapering tail.

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grenadier British  

/ ˌɡrɛnəˈdɪə /

noun

1. military

   1. (in the British Army) a member of the senior regiment of infantry in the Household Brigade

   2. (formerly) a member of a special formation, usually selected for strength and height

   3. (formerly) a soldier trained to throw grenades

2. Also called: rat-tail.  any deep-sea gadoid fish of the family Macrouridae, typically having a large head and trunk and a long tapering tail

3. any of various African weaverbirds of the genus Estrilda See waxbill

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Other Word Forms

• grenadierial adjective
• grenadierly adverb
• grenadiership noun

Etymology

Origin of grenadier

From French, dating back to 1670–80; grenade, -ier ²

Example Sentences

Kerkhoff said for example that she was wearing a Capitol Police baseball cap because her 10-member grenadier unit — trained to deploy less-than-lethal force — had no time to grab equipment.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2022

Others to look out for are golden noble and grenadier.

From The Guardian • Oct. 9, 2019

Men such as grenadier Essell Maxwell, who posthumously received the Croix de Guerre when he sacrificed himself to silence a machine gun crew wreaking havoc on his comrades.

From Washington Post • Nov. 13, 2018

According to the archives, the 19-year-old panzer grenadier was wounded on the Eastern Front in 1943.

From BBC • May 2, 2013

In the grenadier companies you found tall, brisk, powerful fellows, hard-fighting men, always ready to attack.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes