| 1. | the imperial guard created in 1804 by Napoleon: it made the last French charge at Waterloo. |
| 2. | (in the U.S.) the conservative element of any political party, esp. the Republican party. |
| 3. | (usually lowercase ) the influential, established, more conservative members of any body, group, movement, etc.: the old guard of New York society. |
| old guard also Old Guard n. A conservative, often reactionary element of a class, society, or political group. [Translation of French Vieille Garde, the imperial guard of Napoleon I.] |