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Glite Dictionary
paratroop

paratroop

1 5.3
Soldiers trained to jump from planes with parachutes to fight
  • noun
  • /ˈpærəˌtrup/
: 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
24 5.8

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

includes both individual soldiers and whole units or operations
paratroops
vsparatroop
1 5.2

Soldiers trained to jump from planes and fight on the ground

also includes individual soldiers and the larger operational meaning beyond units
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

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.