army
army — noun
1. the branch of a country's military whose soldiers fight battles on the ground, u
the branch of a country's military whose soldiers fight battles on the ground, using vehicles like tanks and equipment such as rifles.
Ravi joined the army at eighteen and trained as a tank driver in Texas.
join the army for enlisting
The Indian army moved tanks and trucks toward the snowy mountain border last week.
national modifier: the [country] army
Sami's grandfather served in the army for thirty years before he retired.
After two bombs hit the village, the army sent doctors and food to help families.
South Korea still requires most young men to serve in the army for about eighteen months.
- military
broader; covers army, navy, and air force together
- armed forces
formal, plural; the full set of military branches
- ground forces
technical; emphasises the land-fighting role
文法句型
the + Army (proper noun)
join the army
用法筆記
Often capitalised as 'the Army' when naming a specific country's force (e.g. 'the British Army'). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the whole institution; sense 2 names any military group of fighters.
常見錯誤
2. a specific group of soldiers organised under one command — historical, rebel, mo
a specific group of soldiers organised under one command — historical, rebel, modern, or imaginary — that you can count and name (one army, two armies, the rebel army).
An army of fifty thousand Roman soldiers marched slowly across the dry plain.
an army of [number] [people]
The rebel army captured two small towns near the river before sunset.
modifier + army for type
Napoleon led his army into Russia in 1812 and lost most of his men to the cold.
Two armies faced each other on the open field, waiting for the signal to attack.
The general told his army to stop fighting and go home for the winter.
文法句型
an army of [size/origin]
用法筆記
Use this sense for any specific fighting force in any time or place — historical (Roman, Napoleon's), modern, or imaginary. Sense 1 names a country's permanent institution; this sense counts groups of fighters (you can have two armies on a battlefield, but a country has one army).
常見錯誤
3. a very big group of people (or sometimes animals or things) who are all doing th
a very big group of people (or sometimes animals or things) who are all doing the same task or working toward the same goal — for example, an army of volunteers cleaning a beach, or an army of ants on the kitchen floor.
An army of volunteers spent the weekend picking up plastic bottles along the beach in Kenting.
an army of + helpers/workers
An army of ants was carrying breadcrumbs across the kitchen counter.
metaphor: an army of [insects/animals]
The pop star arrived at the airport with an army of bodyguards and personal assistants.
Hospitals across Taipei need an army of nurses to look after older patients each night.
An army of fans waited outside the stadium for hours just to see the band leave.
- handful
very small number
文法句型
an army of + plural noun
用法筆記
Almost always 'an army of + plural noun'. The image is one of large numbers plus shared purpose; without that shared purpose, prefer 'a crowd of' or 'lots of'. Distinguish from sense 4, which is specific to football supporters.
常見錯誤
4. the loyal fans of a football club, especially the ones who follow their team to
the loyal fans of a football club, especially the ones who follow their team to away matches in other cities or countries.
The Tartan Army filled the streets of Madrid before Scotland's match on Saturday night.
named fan group: the Tartan Army
Liverpool's away army sang loudly in the rain for the full ninety minutes.
[team]'s army for travelling fans
A small Welsh army of about two hundred fans travelled to Belgium for the cup game.
The manager thanked the team's loyal army for following them to every away match this season.
- supporters
neutral; the standard word for fans of a team
- following
the whole group of loyal fans behind a team
- faithful
the most devoted core of supporters
文法句型
[team name] + army
the + team + army
用法筆記
Mostly British English and football journalism. Often part of a fixed nickname for a team's supporters (the Tartan Army for Scotland, the Barmy Army for English cricket). Distinguish from sense 3: that sense is general (an army of volunteers); this sense is tied to football crowds.