Word
corps
/ˈkɔɹ/
Definitions
01military branch or unit
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Military
n. a large branch of the military that does a specific job, or a group of two or more divisions.
n. a specialized branch of the armed forces or a tactical unit consisting of two or more divisions. The 's' is silent in the singular form.
“He joined the Marine Corps right after finishing high school.”
“The general commanded a corps consisting of three infantry divisions and an armored brigade during the spring offensive.”
Usage
The singular and plural are spelled identically, but the singular is pronounced /kɔːr/ and the plural /kɔːrz/.
Pitfall
The army sent two corp to the border.
The army sent two corps to the border.
The word 'corps' is spelled with an 's' in both the singular and plural forms.
02professional group
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a group of people who work together in a specific profession or for a common goal.
n. an organized body of people associated by a common profession or purpose.
Español:cuerpo
“The diplomatic corps attended the ceremony to represent their countries.”
“The press corps waited outside the courthouse for hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of the defendant after the verdict.”
Usage
Often used in fixed phrases like 'diplomatic corps' or 'press corps'.
Synonyms
03ballet group
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Theater Technical
n. the group of dancers in a ballet company who dance together as a background for the main stars.
n. the members of a ballet company who dance together as a group and do not perform as soloists.
“She started her career in the corps de ballet before becoming a lead dancer.”
“The precision of the corps de ballet during the second act was praised by every critic in attendance.”
Usage
Usually appears in the full French phrase 'corps de ballet'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04dead body
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary
n. an old way of spelling 'corpse', meaning a dead body.
n. an obsolete orthographic variant of 'corpse'.
“In the old story, the knight found a cold corps lying in the forest.”
“The poet lamented over the lifeless corps of his fallen comrade, using the archaic spelling to evoke a sense of history.”
Real-World Examples
“He was only able to do it because he qualified for student loan forgiveness through the National Health Service Corps.” “Failed uprising in Niamey exposed tensions in Niger’s military, and the role of the Africa Corps in suppressing unrest.” Etymology
From French corps d'armée (literally “army body”), from Latin corpus (“body”). Doublet of corpse and corpus. See also English riff.
Clipping.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. esprit de corps
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/corps
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0