Definition of poilu in English:
poilu
noun pwʌˈluːpwalypwäˈl(y)o͞o
informal, historical An infantry soldier in the French army, especially one who fought in the First World War.
Example sentencesExamples
- It coincides with a large number of books and exhibitions about the poilus, as French soldiers in the great war were known.
- In contrast with the pre-1914 view that the French soldier, with his singular élan, performed best in the attack, they took the doggedness of the poilu in defence at Verdun in 1916 as their guide.
- The film even showed Porter in the uniform of the French Foreign Legion, as gritty and gung-ho as a poilu.
- The French poilus accepted and respected that American icon.
- This was not the destination of Nevinson's poilus - over 1,000,000 of whom would become casualties in the first five months of the war alone.
Synonyms
private soldier, common soldier
Origin
French, literally 'hairy', by extension 'brave', whiskers being associated with virility.