Musketeer

/ˌmʌskəˈtɪr/ noun

Definition

A soldier armed with a musket, especially one of the French royal guard; also associated with adventure and honor.

Etymology

From French 'mousquetaire,' derived from 'mousquet' (musket). The musket was an early firearm, and a musketeer was a soldier trained to use it, particularly in 17th-century France.

Kelly Says

Alexandre Dumas's 'The Three Musketeers' made musketeers seem romantic and heroic, but historically they were just regular soldiers armed with the latest technology—the musket was basically the machine gun of the 1600s!

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