cuirassier

[ kweer-uh-seer ]

noun

1. a cavalry soldier wearing a cuirass.

cuirassier

/ ˌkwɪərəˈsɪə /

noun

1. a mounted soldier, esp of the 16th century, who wore a cuirass

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuirassier¹

From French, dating back to 1545–55; cuirass, -ier ²

Example Sentences

The show, he explained, displayed “a human mosaic of horsemen: Indians, Cossacks, cowboys, Bedouins, Mexicans, cuirassiers, Boers, Britons, 300 strong.”

From New York Times

He had dreamed of flying Uhlans, captured trenches, charging hussars and cuirassiers--and now, he had been threatened with the "cat."

From Project Gutenberg

The 14th was with William III. in Flanders; it formed, too, one of the squares of Waterloo, breasting for hours the charges of the French cuirassiers until it had nearly melted away.

From Project Gutenberg

The Janissaries received the full brunt of the swords of the cuirassiers and the hussars, and in the first onset Ismail Pasha himself fell from his horse.

From Project Gutenberg

I found a dozen men, cuirassiers of his privileged troop, peeping and squinting under the canvas which had been hung round the fire.

From Project Gutenberg