rearguard

rearguard [ˈrɪəˌgɑːd]

1. (Military) a detachment detailed to protect the rear of a military formation, esp in retreat

2. an entrenched or conservative element, as in a political party

rearguard action

a. an action fought by a rearguard

b. a defensive action undertaken to try to stop something happening or continuing

[from Old French rereguarde (modern French arrière-garde), from rer, from Latin retro back + guarde guard; compare vanguard]

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun

rearguard - a detachment assigned to protect the rear of a (retreating) military body

armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"

detachment - a small unit of troops of special composition

Translations

rearguard [ˈrɪəgɑːd]

A. N (Mil) → retaguardia f

B. CPD rearguard action N → combate m para cubrir una retirada
to fight a rearguard action (fig) → resistir en lo posible

rearguard [ˈrɪə^rgɑː^rd] n (MILITARY) → arrière-garde f
rearguard action n (MILITARY) → combat m d'arrière-garde
to fight a rearguard action (MILITARY) → mener un combat d'arrière-garde (fig) → mener un combat d'arrière-garde

rearguard [ˈrɪəgɑːd] n (Mil) → retroguardia

Mentioned in	?		References in classic literature	?		Dictionary browser	?		Full browser	?
detachment rear rearguard action rearward vanguard	Among the field guns on the brow of the hill the general in command of the rearguard stood with a staff officer, scanning the country through his fieldglass. War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo View in context Next came the musicians and a rearguard of capering fakirs, whose cries sometimes drowned the noise of the instruments; these closed the procession. Around The World In Eighty Days by Verne, Jules View in context Two other men descended after Danglars forming the rearguard, and pushing Danglars whenever he happened to stop, they came by a gentle declivity to the intersection of two corridors. The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas, Alexandre View in context	rear back rear echelon rear end Rear front rear guard rear lamp rear light Rear line rear of barrel rear of tube Rear rank rear sight rear spoiler Rear vassal rear window rear-end rear-engined rear-guard Rear-horse rear-mounted rear-view mirror rear-wheel drive Reardon Reardorse Rearer rearguard rearguard action reargue Reargument rearing Rearing bit Rearly rearm rearmament rearming rearmost rearmouse rearrange rearrangement rearview mirror rearward rearwards Reascend Reascension Reascent reason reason out reasonable reasonable care reasonableness reasonably	rear-wheel drives Rear-wheel-drive Rear-window defogger Rear-window wiper Rear-window wiper Rear. 1 rear1 rear2 REARB Rearchitectured NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System Reardon Reardon Smith Whittaker Reardon, Edwin Reardorse reared reared reared reared head reared head reared its head reared its head reared up reared up Rearendis Numbicitis rearer rearer rearer rearers rearers rearfoot valgus rearguard rearguard action rearguard actions rearguards reargue reargued reargues rearguing Reargument rearing rearing rearing Rearing bit rearing head rearing head rearing its head rearing its head Rearing of children Rearing of children rearing up rearing up Rearly rearm rearm rearm Rearm, Refuel, and Resupply Point rearmament rearmaments rearmed rearming rearming

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detachment
rear
rearguard action
rearward
vanguard

Among the field guns on the brow of the hill the general in command of the rearguard stood with a staff officer, scanning the country through his fieldglass.

War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo View in context

Next came the musicians and a rearguard of capering fakirs, whose cries sometimes drowned the noise of the instruments; these closed the procession.

Around The World In Eighty Days by Verne, Jules View in context

Two other men descended after Danglars forming the rearguard, and pushing Danglars whenever he happened to stop, they came by a gentle declivity to the intersection of two corridors.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas, Alexandre View in context

rearguard playV2('en/US/dg/dgshdsdgsdd5srdysod7gh');playV2('en/UK/dg/dgshdsdgsdd5srdysod7gh')

rearguard