shock troops
2
7.3
- noun
- /ʃɑk truːps/
- Specialized
:
tropas de asalto
- If not exactly the shock troops, these are the foot soldiers of the Islamic Republic, the men who will flesh out the lower ranks of the civil service or grow up to be "Friday imams," embellishing their prayers with anti-Western, anti-Enlightenment injunctions.
Other times we see such heavy infantry being used as shock troops or being tasked with special operations.
- Other times we see such heavy infantry being used as shock troops or being tasked with special operations.
Examples
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Other times we see such heavy infantry being used as shock troops or being tasked with special operations.
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Are you part of the shock troops before the invasion?
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Graduate students and young professors are the shock troops.
Academic text (1995) -
So all my Romans, the shock troops here leading the charge, are somewhat confused as to what's going on.
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American shock troops capture the Ludendorff Bridge and race over the Rhine river, slashing deep into the heart land of Nazi Germany.
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The elite shock troops led the charge at dawn, spearheading the assault on enemy positions.
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During the conflict, the shock troops were crucial in securing the front line and breaking through enemy lines.
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In preparation for the mission, the general deployed the shock troops to confront the enemy at the forefront of the attack.
Synonyms
∞
2.0
Soldiers who work together as a group in an army
∞
6.3
A soldier trained to attack quickly and secretly behind enemy lines
70
7.2
A soldier trained to make quick surprise attacks behind enemy lines
3
7.5
An elite soldier known for strict discipline and fast aggressive attacks
Soldiers trained to jump from planes and fight on the ground
How Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'shock' (sudden violent impact/effect) modifies 'troops' to indicate soldiers whose role is to deliver a shock or lead assaults. This noun+noun formation and equivalent terms in many languages make the sense inferable for a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The noun shock troops comes from a military image: specially trained troops who give a sudden, powerful shock to the enemy by attacking first. That's why 'shock troops' today means 'soldiers who lead attacks and try to break through enemy lines'.