bataillon

battalion

noun bah-tah-YON Rare

Origin: Italian battaglione, from battaglia ('battle')

Usage Note

Bataillon is a military unit of several hundred soldiers, typically three to five companies. The familiar phrase un bataillon de is used hyperbolically to mean 'a whole army of' (e.g. journalists, volunteers). It always takes un.

Examples

"Le bataillon a reçu ses ordres."

Natural Translation

The battalion received its orders.

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