Word
commando
Phoneticscom·man·do
US/kəˈmænˌdoʊ/
UK/kəmˈændəʊ/
Definition
n. a soldier who is trained to carry out quick, dangerous attacks in enemy territory. These soldiers often work in small groups and are highly skilled at fighting in difficult conditions.
n. a member of a specialized military unit trained for shock tactics and hit-and-run raids. Often used to describe elite light infantry forces that operate behind enemy lines.
Examples
“The commando crawled through the grass to reach the base.”
“Elite commando units were deployed under the cover of darkness to disable the enemy's radar installations.”
“The operation required a small team of commandos to infiltrate the coastal fortress, gather intelligence, and extract before the morning patrol arrived.”
Examples
simple
“The commando crawled through the grass to reach the base.”
contextual
“Elite commando units were deployed under the cover of darkness to disable the enemy's radar installations.”
complex
“The operation required a small team of commandos to infiltrate the coastal fortress, gather intelligence, and extract before the morning patrol arrived.”
Usage
Often used as a modifier before another noun, such as 'commando raid' or 'commando tactics'.
Etymology
From Afrikaans kommando, from Portuguese comando (“command”), from Late Latin *commandare, from Latin commendare.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
go commando — To not wear underwear (chiefly underpants) under one's outer clothing
The word in film
Commando · 1985 · Action
- Directed by:
- Mark L. Lester
- Starring:
- Alyssa Milano, Bill Paxton, George Fisher
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in this 1980s action movie as a retired elite soldier who must rescue his kidnapped daughter. The title describes his background as a highly trained fighter capable of taking on an entire army by himself.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/commando