Plural of cadre; small groups of trained personnel, military officers, or political activists who lead larger organizations or movements.
From French cadre, from Italian quadro, from Latin quadratus (square). Originally referred to the frame or structure of a military unit, now applies to any core group.
Communist movements were famous for organizing through 'cadres'—small cells of dedicated members that could multiply their influence like cell division in biology!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.