leatherneck
/ˈlɛðənɛk
/noun US informal
A marine: two planes undershot their target and eight leathernecks were wounded...
- Iwo Jima was the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history, and three leathernecks of the 4th and 5th Divisions used sidearms on the sulphurous island during February and March 1945.
- An unparalleled warrior and an enlisted leatherneck at heart, he remains the most famous and most revered Marine.
- However, while there is no denying that he has high regard for leathernecks, he does provide ample examples of Navy and Army actions.
Origin
Late 19th century: with allusion to the leather lining inside the collar of a marine's uniform.