poilu

1 9.9

A French soldier who fought in the trenches during World War I

noun
/pwah-loo/

Archaic

: poilu

Many poilu fought bravely in the trenches, enduring harsh conditions.
French poilu

Examples

Le poilu!

The French Connection (1971)
The last surviving poilu shared his memories of the war at a special ceremony.
During World War I, every poilu was expected to show great courage in battle.

Surface Forms

poilu singular

poilus plural

Etymology

Poilu comes from the French word poil, which means 'hair' or 'hairy'. It became a nickname for the rough, often bearded French soldiers of World War I, so thinking 'hairy' helps you remember it refers to those hardy infantrymen.