blackshirts
blackshirts Lexical Profile
blackshirts Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Members of a fascist organization or paramilitary wing, especially the Voluntary Militia for National Security in Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini or the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s, noted for wearing black uniform shirts.
"The history lecture examined how the Italian Blackshirts intimidated political opponents during the early 1920s."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often capitalized when referring specifically to the historical Italian Fascist militia (Squadristi) or Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists, and contrasted historically with the Nazi 'Brownshirts' (SA).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Calqued from the Italian 'camicie nere', referring to the black uniform shirts adopted in 1919 by Benito Mussolini's fascist combat squads, modeled after the uniforms of elite World War I Italian assault troops (Arditi).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.