Vietcong

or Vi·et Cong

[ vee-et-kong, -kawng, vyet-, vee-it- ]

/ viˌɛtˈkɒŋ, -ˈkɔŋ, ˌvyɛt-, ˌvi ɪt- /

(during the Vietnam War)

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noun, plural Vi·et·cong.

a Communist-led army and guerrilla force in South Vietnam that fought its government and was supported by North Vietnam.

a member or supporter of this force.

adjective

of or relating to this force or one of its members or supporters.

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Origin of Vietcong

First recorded in 1960–65, Vietcong is from the Vietnamese word Việt-cộng

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

How to use Vietcong in a sentence

He was hallucinating he was in a prison camp under the Viet Cong.
The Price of Being a Patton: Wrestling With the Legacy of America’s Most Famous General|Tim Teeman|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A few days later, on April 30, General Duong Van Minh surrendered to the Viet Cong and the Fall of Saigon was complete.
Remembering the Fall of Saigon and Vietnam’s Mass ‘Boat People’ Exodus|Katie Baker|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
U.S. shotgunners used flechettes in Vietnam to get at Viet Cong hidden behind leaves and brush.
At the Gun Show, Family Businesses and Angry Young Men|Patrick Blanchfield|April 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
American policy held that if a Vietnamese looked at a hovering chopper, he must be Viet Cong.
The Atrocity Lessons: What the U.S. Military Learned From Vietnam|Jake Whitney|February 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The soldiers were simply following policy, which said that if Vietnamese ran, they must be Viet Cong.
The Atrocity Lessons: What the U.S. Military Learned From Vietnam|Jake Whitney|February 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for Vietcong

Vietcong

Viet Cong

/ (ˌvjɛtˈkɒŋ) /

noun (in the Vietnam War)

the Communist-led guerrilla force and revolutionary army of South Vietnam; the armed forces of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam

a member of these armed forces

(modifier) of or relating to the Vietcong or a Vietcong

Word Origin for Vietcong

from Vietnamese Viet Nam Cong San Vietnamese Communist

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

Cultural definitions for Vietcong

Viet Cong

[ (vee-et kong, kawng) ]

South Vietnamese communist revolutionaries during the Vietnam War.