partisan Hear it!

partisan1 definition

par·ti·san (pärt′ə zən, -sən)

noun

  1. a person who takes the part of or strongly supports one side, party, or person; often, specif., an unreasoning, emotional adherent
  2. any of a group of guerrilla fighters; esp., a member of an organized civilian force fighting covertly to drive out occupying enemy troops

Etymology: MFr < It partigiano < parte < L pars, part

adjective

  1. of, like, or characteristic of a partisan
  2. blindly or unreasonably devoted
  3. of or having to do with military partisans

Related Forms:

partisan2 definition

par·ti·san (pärt′ə zən, -sən)

noun

a broad-bladed weapon with a long shaft, used esp. in the 16th cent.

Etymology: MFr partisane < It partigiana, fem. of partigiano (see partisan): sense infl. by pertugiare, to pierce

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.