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Glite Dictionary
paratroop

paratroop

2 5.3
Soldiers trained to jump from planes with parachutes to fight
  • noun
  • /ˈpærəˌtrup/
translation icon : paracaidista
  • The military exercise involved several hundred paratroops parachuting into the designated zone.
  • paratroop brigade
  • Paratroop Division
  • Paratroop Regiment

Examples

  • French paratroops and legionnaires took control of Rwanda's airport as rebels attempted to seize it.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The paratroops have taken Goose Green.

    The Iron Lady (2011)

  • The elite paratroop commando division was used in May and lost its commander and 21 tanks.

    Academic text (1990)

  • It would require a battalion of paratroops to take it.

    Where Eagles Dare (1968)

  • Shortly after dawn on June 7, Israeli paratroops and infantry entered the gates of Jerusalem and took the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Accordingly, on October 29, 1956, Israeli paratroops dropped on central Sinai, and the Egyptians defended their positions with vigor so that a full-scale war was soon in progress.

    Academic text (2002)

  • During the operation, the paratroops landed behind enemy lines to seize control of the area.

  • After extensive training, the paratroops were ready for their first mission in the field.

Synonyms

paratrooper
vsparatroop
28 5.8

A soldier who jumps from a plane using a parachute to fight

includes both individual soldiers and whole units or operations
para
vsparatroop
  • Jargon
1 8.3

A soldier trained to jump from a plane with a parachute

is broader and also covers groups and whole operations not just regiment members
paratroops
vsparatroop
5.2

Soldiers trained to jump from planes and fight on the ground

also includes individual soldiers and the larger operational meaning beyond units

Surface Forms

paratroop singular
paratroops plural

Morphology

paratroop = troop (semi-transparent) = para + troop

The word is built from para- plus troop, but the military airborne sense is somewhat specialized rather than fully predictable from the components.

Etymology

Paratroop comes from para, as in parachute which means 'to protect against a fall', and troop which means 'a group of soldiers'. So a paratroop is a group of soldiers who jump from planes with parachutes to reach the battlefield.