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brigade

Syllabification: (bri·gade)
Pronunciation: /briˈgād/
Translate brigade | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of brigade

noun

  • a subdivision of an army, typically consisting of a small number of infantry battalions and/or other units and often forming part of a division:he commanded a brigade of 3,000 men
  • an organization with a specific purpose, typically with a military or quasi-military structure:the local fire brigade
  • [in singular] informal, often derogatory a group of people with a common characteristic or dedicated to a common cause:the anti-smoking brigade

verb

[with object]
  • rare form into a brigade.
  • associate with (someone or something):they thought the speech too closely brigaded with illegal action

Origin:

mid 17th century: from French, from Italian brigata 'company', from brigare 'contend', from briga 'strife'

brigade in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of brigade in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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