Grenadier

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Grenadier \Gren`a*dier"\, n. [F. grenadier. See {Grenade}.]
     1. (Mil.) Originaly, a soldier who carried and threw
        grenades; afterward, one of a company attached to each
        regiment or battalion, taking post on the right of the
        line, and wearing a peculiar uniform. In modern times, a
        member of a special regiment or corps; as, a grenadier of


        the guard of Napoleon I. one of the regiment of Grenadier
        Guards of the British army, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The feats of grenadiers have been memorialized in song,
           as in the following: (for the melody see
           http://www.acronet.net/~robokopp/english.html)
           Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules / The
           British Grenadiers ca. 18th Century The British
           Grenadiers
           Some talk of Alexander,
           And some of Hercules
           Of Hector and Lysander,
           And such great names as these.
           But of all the world's great heroes,
           There's none that can compare
           With a tow, row, row, row, row, row,
           To the British Grenadier.
           2. Those heroes of antiquity
           Ne'er saw a cannon ball
           Or knew the force of powder
           To slay their foes withall.
           But our brave boys do know it,
           And banish all their fears,
           Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
           For the British Grenadier.
           3. Whene'er we are commanded
           To storm the palisades
           Our leaders march with fusees,
           And we with hand grenades.
           We throw them from the glacis,
           About the enemies' ears.
           Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
           The British Grenadiers.
           4. And when the siege is over,
           We to the town repair
           The townsmen cry, "Hurra, boys,
           Here comes a Grenadier!"
           Here come the Grenadiers, my boys,
           Who know no doubts or fears!
           Then sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
           The British Grenadiers.
           5. Then let us fill a bumper,
           And drink a health to those
           Who carry caps and pouches,
           And wear the louped clothes.
           May they and their commanders
           Live happy all their years
           With a tow, row, row, row, row, row,
           For the British Grenadiers.
  
     2. (Zool.) Any marine fish of the genus {Macrurus}, in which
        the body and tail taper to a point; they mostly inhabit
        the deep sea; -- called also {onion fish}, and {rat-tail
        fish}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zool.) A bright-colored South African grosbeak
        ({Pyromelana orix}), having the back red and the lower
        parts black.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  grenadier
       n 1: an infantryman equipped with grenades [syn: {grenade thrower}]
       2: deep-sea fish with a large head and body and long tapering
          tail [syn: {rattail}, {rattail fish}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  25 Moby Thesaurus words for "grenadier":
     Zouave, bean pole, bersagliere, carabineer, chasseur, dogface,
     doughfoot, expert rifleman, foot soldier, footslogger, fusileer,
     giant, grunt, infantryman, light infantryman, longlegs, longshanks,
     marksman, musketeer, paddlefoot, rifle, rifleman, seven-footer,
     sharpshooter, sniper