Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun, plural in·fan·tries.
- soldiers or military units that fight on foot, in modern times typically with rifles, machine guns, grenades, mortars, etc., as weapons.
- a branch of an army composed of such soldiers.
noun plural -tries
-
- soldiers or units of soldiers who fight on foot with small arms
- (as modifier)an infantry unit
Abbreviation: Inf, inf
1570s, from French infantrie, from older Italian, Spanish infanteria “foot soldiers, force composed of those too inexperienced or low in rank for cavalry,” from infante “foot soldier,” originally “a youth,” from Latin infantem (see infant). Meaning “infants collectively” is recorded from 1610s.