[ahr-mee] Pronunciation Key | 1. | the military forces of a nation, exclusive of the navy and in some countries the air force. |
| 2. | (in large military land forces) a unit consisting typically of two or more corps and a headquarters. |
| 3. | a large body of persons trained and armed for war. |
| 4. | any body of persons organized for any purpose: an army of census takers. |
| 5. | a very large number or group of something; a great multitude; a host: the army of the unemployed. |
] Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
| ar·my
(är'mē) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. ar·mies
[Middle English armee, from Old French, from Medieval Latin armāta, from Latin, feminine past participle of armāre, to arm, from arma, arms; see ar- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
army
| army | |
noun | |
| 1. | a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state |
| 2. | a large number of people united for some specific purpose |
| 3. | the army of the United States of America; the agency that organizes and trains soldiers for land warfare [syn: United States Army] |
Army
Ar"my\, n. [F. arm['e]e, fr. L. armata, fem. of armatus, p. p. of armare to arm. Cf. Armada.]1. A collection or body of men armed for war, esp. one organized in companies, battalions, regiments, brigades, and divisions, under proper officers. 2. A body of persons organized for the advancement of a cause; as, the Blue Ribbon Army. 3. A great number; a vast multitude; a host. An army of good words. --Shak. Standing army, a permanent army of professional soldiers, as distinguished from militia or volunteers.
Army
The Israelites marched out of Egypt in military order (Ex. 13:18, "harnessed;" marg., "five in a rank"). Each tribe formed a battalion, with its own banner and leader (Num. 2:2; 10:14). In war the army was divided into thousands and hundreds under their several captains (Num. 31:14), and also into families (Num. 2:34; 2 Chr. 25:5; 26:12). From the time of their entering the land of Canaan to the time of the kings, the Israelites made little progress in military affairs, although often engaged in warfare. The kings introduced the custom of maintaining a bodyguard (the Gibborim; i.e., "heroes"), and thus the nucleus of a standing army was formed. Saul had an army of 3,000 select warriors (1 Sam. 13:2; 14:52; 24:2). David also had a band of soldiers around him (1 Sam. 23:13; 25:13). To this band he afterwards added the Cherethites and the Pelethites (2 Sam. 15:18; 20:7). At first the army consisted only of infantry (1 Sam. 4:10; 15:4), as the use of horses was prohibited (Deut. 17:16); but chariots and horses were afterwards added (2 Sam. 8:4; 1 Kings 10:26, 28, 29; 1 Kings 9:19). In 1 Kings 9:22 there is given a list of the various gradations of rank held by those who composed the army. The equipment and maintenance of the army were at the public expense (2 Sam. 17:28, 29; 1 Kings 4:27; 10:16, 17; Judg. 20:10). At the Exodus the number of males above twenty years capable of bearing arms was 600,000 (Ex. 12:37). In David's time it mounted to the number of 1,300,000 (2 Sam. 24:9).
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