Some Military Terminology

Abatis

An entrenchment of felled trees, with their branches sharpened so as to present a wall of pointed stakes to the enemy.

Adjutant

A staff officer who transmits orders, details and mounts guards. The Adjutant-General is the principal staff officer of the Army; he supervises the camp, and is the organ of the general commanding.

Aide-de-camp

Attendant of a general officer who receives and bears orders.

Alarm post

Place of assembly in case of alarm.

Alignment

Placing in line.

Approaches

Trenches by which besiegers approach a fortified place; they are opposed by counter-approaches.

Apron

The piece of leather or sheet lead which covers the vent of a cannon.

Assembly

Signal to form by company.

Banquette

An elevation of earth within a fort, three or four feet wide, and less than five feet from the top of the parapet, which even short men can fire over.

Barbette

Guns standing on raised platforms, where they can fire over the parapet, which gives them a free range.

Barricade

To block or obstruct.

Bastion

A work at one of the angles of a fortification, consisting of two faces and two flanks.

Berm

A narrow space between parapet and ditch.

Brevet rank

An honorary title awarded for brave or commendable action in war.

Bivouac

To camp round fires without the shelter of tents.

Cadence

Uniform time and step in marching.

Caisson

The ammunition wagon accompanying a cannon.

Caliber

Diameter of the bore of a piece.

Cantonments

Soldiers' quarters in towns and villages.

Capitulate

To surrender on conditions.

Cartel

Agreement for an exchange of prisoners.

Casoabel

The knob at the breech of a gun.

Casemate

Bomb-proof chambers in fortifications from which guns are fired through windows, called embrasures.

Cashier

To dismiss ignominiously.

Cavalier

A work in the interior of a bastion; also, a Royalist soldier, usually a cavalryman, of the English Civil War.

Chase of a gun

Its length from trunnions to muzzle.

Cheek

The timber side of a gun-carriage.

Chevaux-de-frise

Square beams, six to nine feet long, from which pointed stakes project at right angles; used to stop breaches.

Circumvallation, line of

A low parapet and trench of earthwork encircling a besieged place.

Commissary

Provision purchaser.

Convoy

A detached guard to accompany supplies; or, a number of ships, wagons, lorries, etc moving together for safety.

Corps

A body of troops under one commander; usually, two or more divisions

Counterscarp

Outer wall or slope of the ditch of a fort.

Countersign

Password.

Cuirassiers

Heavy cavalry with breastplates or cuirasses.

Curtain

The line of flat wall between two bastions.

Deploy

To maneuver troops from column into line of battle.

Dragoons

Cavalry who sometimes serve on foot.

Echelon

An arrangement of troops, by which front and flanks are alike protected.

Embrasure

An opening in a wall or defense through which to fire guns.

Enfilade

To rake the whole length of a work or line.

Eprouvette

A small mortar for testing gunpowder.

Escalade

An assault with scaling ladders.

False attack

A strategic feint.

Fascines

Bound bundles of long twigs used for fortifications.

Feint

An attack aimed at one place merely as a distraction from the location of the real attack.

Field officers

Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Major.

File

A line of men, one behind the other.

Flanking position

A position from which one can strike at the enemys sides, can be used offensively or defensively.

Flanks

Sides.

Flying sap

A line of gabions, behind which men approach a defense protected from missiles.

Forage

Oats, hay, and straw for horses.

Forlorn hope

A party selected to begin and attack, or slow down an enemy attack.

Fuse

The means by which a shell is exploded.

Gabion

A bottomless cylindrical basket, used in building entrenchments.

General officers

All above the rank of colonel.

Glacis

Parapet of the covered way of fortifications.

Grape

Large shot packed in bags by nines, and fired by cannon, typically at medium range.

Grenade

A shell thrown from the hand.

Guidons

Small cavalry and light artillery flags.

Gunpowder

Composed of 76 parts saltpeter, 14 parts charcoal, and 10 parts sulfur.

Haversack

A cotton or linen bag for a soldier's rations.

Holsters

Pistol cases on cavalry saddles.

Howitzer

Chambered short-barrelled cannon for lobbing shells into fortifications: could also fire canister and, hollow shot.

Interval

Distance between platoons, companies, regiments.

Invest

To encircle and shut up the enemy within a town or camp.

Knapsack

Foot soldier's traveling bag, strapped on his back, and containing clothing and necessaries.

Light infantry

Infantry armed primarily with missiles and scattered as skirmishers.

Links

Thongs of leather to enchain cavalry horses.

Magazine

Store for arms, ammunition, provisions: on a firearm, holds additional ammunition.

Mine

A passage dug under military works and stocked with powder to blow them up.

Mortar

A short-chambered gun with large bore for throwing shell.

Muster

Parade of troops for inspection.

Orderly

A soldier attendant upon an officer.

Ordnance corps

A corps of officers in charge of arms and ammunition.

Out-post

A body of troops posted beyond the regular lines.

Out-works

Works outside the regular fortifications.

Paixhan

A large howitzer.

Parallels

The lines or trenches by which besiegers approach a fort.

Parapet

A barrier of earth to intercept the fire of an enemy.

Park

A number of cannon in close order.

Parley

Conference.

Parole

Word of honor given by an officer prisoner to his captor.

Patrol

Small guard under a non-commissioned officer, whose duty it is to preserve order in the encampment.

Picket

A small out-post guard.

Pontoons

Small boats to aid in the formation of bridges.

Port-fire

A match for firing cannon.

Provost-marshal

Army sheriff in charge of military police.

Quartermaster

Officer providing quarters and clothing.

Rank

A line of men side-by-side. Rank and file include privates and non-commissioned officer.

Ration

Daily allowance of food.

Reconnoiter

To survey or examine.

Redoubt

A small fortification.

Relief

One-third of a guard. Each third is on duty two hours and off four.

Reserve

Select body of troops retained in the rear.

Reveille

Beat of the drum at daybreak.

Ricochet

Rebounding of shot from the ground at a very obtuse angle.

Rifle

Any fire-arm with a curved groove in the barrel.

Roster

List of officers and men by which to regulate their duties.

Round

Ammunition sufficient for one shot

Rounds

Visiting or personal inspection of the guards and sentries.

Safeguard

A passport.

Salient

An advanced angle; a piece of friendly ground protruding into enemy territory.

Sally-port

Chief entrance to a fort.

Sap

An excavation by which to approach a fort or between trenches.

Shells

Hollow balls filled with explosive material, exploded by a fuse.

Skirmish

A loose, desultory kind of engagement between small detachments.

Sortie

The temporary exiting of a fortification in order to gain food or water or to disrupt a nearby enemy. Done by a a Sally party.

Sperical-case shot

Thin shells, loaded with musket-balls, for a howitzer.

Squadron

Two troops of cavalry.

Staff

Officers attached to headquarters.

Strategy

The disposition of troops over and above the tactical scale.

Subaltern

Any commissioned officer below a captain.

Surgeon

Army doctor.

Tactics

The ordering, disposition, and formation of troops on the battlefield or at any rate on a local scale.

Tattoo

Drum beat at 9:30 p.m., for retiring; or a military parade with bands.

Traverses

Parapets of earth thrown up as a protection against ricochet shots.

Trenches

Ditches.

Troop

Company of cavalry.

Videttes or vedettes

Out-post sentries on horseback.

Vent

The passage of a gun or cannon that connects with the charges, and through which the spark passes to discharge it.

Windage

Difference between the diameter of the shot and bore.

Wings

Right and left divisions of an Army.

Zouaves

Light infantry, originally Arabs and Moors.