paratroop
paratroop Lexical Profile
paratroop Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to, consisting of, or designed for soldiers who are trained to jump from aircraft using parachutes.
"The museum features an exhibit dedicated to the history of the first paratroop regiments."
• noun
Military personnel trained and equipped to drop from aircraft by parachute (usually used in the plural).
"Historians studied how paratroops were deployed during the major airborne operations of the 1940s."
• verb
To descend or land from an aircraft by means of a parachute, especially as part of an airborne military unit.
"The rescue team paratrooped into the remote mountain valley to reach the stranded hikers."
Word Nuance & Usage
In noun use, the word most commonly appears in the plural form 'paratroops' to refer collectively to airborne soldiers, whereas a single individual is more typically called a 'paratrooper'.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1940 during World War II as a blend of 'parachute' and 'troop'.