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Glite Dictionary
Schutzstaffel

Schutzstaffel

1 9.9
A group of armed people who served the Nazi party and ran concentration camps
  • noun
  • /ˈʃʊtsˌstæfəl/
  • NSFW
translation icon : Schutzstaffel
  • Members of the Schutzstaffel wore distinctive black uniforms as they carried out their duties during the Nazi regime.

Examples

  • The Schutzstaffel was responsible for enforcing Nazi policies and managing the concentration camps.

  • It was manned by members of the Schutzstaffel, often abbreviated SS, a paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

    Blog text (34)

  • A symbol of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron"), or SS, the Nazi police force that administered the death camps and staffed the mobile killing units known as Einsatzgruppen.

    Blog text (24)

  • The horrific actions of the Schutzstaffel during the Holocaust have been documented in countless historical accounts.

Synonyms

SS
vsSchutzstaffel
  • Offensive
37 9.9

An elite Nazi group that ran concentration camps and killed many people

emphasises origin as a personal guard and role enforcing regime policies
S.S.
vsSchutzstaffel
  • Offensive
9.9

A German Nazi group that carried out violent crimes during World War II

is the full formal name rather than the shortened written form

Surface Forms

Schutzstaffel singular
Schutzstaffeln plural

Etymology

Schutzstaffel comes from German parts Schutz meaning 'protection' and staffel meaning 'squad' or 'group', so the name literally means 'protection squad'. It was first used for Hitler's personal bodyguard but became the name of the Nazi armed group that later ran concentration camps and enforced Nazi policies.