Chetnik

[ chet-neek, chet-nik ]

noun

1. a member of a Serbian nationalist group that fought against the Turks in the early part of the 20th century and carried on guerrilla warfare during World War I and II.

Chetnik

/ ˈtʃɛtnɪk; tʃɛtˈniːk /

noun

1. a Serbian nationalist belonging to a group that fought against the Turks before World War I and engaged in guerrilla warfare during both World Wars
2. a member of a Serbian nationalist paramilitary group fighting to retain Serbian influence in the countries which formerly constituted Yugoslavia

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chetnik¹

1905–10; < Serbo-Croatian čȅtnīk guerrilla, equivalent to čȅt ( a ) troop (cognate with Old Russian cheta, Czech četa ) + -nīk agent suffix ( -nik )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chetnik¹

from Serbian četnik, from četa troop