A member of an irregular Ottoman military unit or militia, often noted for being undisciplined, violent, or feared by civilians; sometimes used to describe a hired ruffian or mercenary.
From Turkish 'başıbozuk,' from 'başı' (head) + 'bozuk' (broken/irregular). Entered English in the 1800s during Balkan conflicts and Ottoman decline.
Bashibazouks were the terror of the Ottoman Empire—these irregular troops answered to no one and committed atrocities, so the word became synonymous with barbaric soldiers, influencing European opinions of Ottoman power as it declined.
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