tercio
9.9
A Spanish group of foot soldiers from the 1500s and 1600s armed with long spears, swords and early guns
- noun
- /ˈtɜrsiˌoʊ/
- Archaic
:
tercio
- Each tercio consisted of a balanced mix of pikemen, swordsmen, and musketeers, allowing for diverse combat tactics.
Examples
-
This tactical system revolved around a unit known as a tercio, roughly corresponding to a regiment in modern parlance (Hills 1970: 53).
Academic text (1992) -
The formal organization of the tercio, however, was not set until after the Conquest.
Academic text (1992) -
The history books detail how the tercio played a crucial role in the military strategies of Spain during the 16th century.
-
Among the soldiers, the tercio was renowned for its discipline and effectiveness in battle.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Tercio comes from the Latin tertius meaning 'third'. The famous Spanish military unit was made of three kinds of soldiers—those with long spears, sword fighters and musketeers—so you can remember it as a 'third' made of three fighting parts.
