A soldier who sets fires or carries explosives; a military engineer or one who stirs up trouble and conflict.
From French, literally 'fire-putter' from 'boute' (puts) and 'feu' (fire), describing a soldier's role in siege warfare and destruction.
Medieval siege warfare required specialized soldiers called boutefeu who would carry incendiary devices—these were literally the special forces of medieval armies, combining courage with dangerous technical skills.
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