‖ corps de garde
Also 6 -of gard, -du gard, 7 -du guard(e, 7 -de gard, 6–8 -guard, 8 cor de guard; 6–7 Sc. corsgard, corps-guarde.
[F. corps de garde ‘petite troupe qui monte la garde, lieu ou se tient cette petite troupe’. Introduced into Eng. bef. 1600, and often corrupted to court o' guard, court of guard.]
1. The small body of soldiers stationed on guard or as sentinels.
| 1590 Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons 2 b, The bodie of the watch also or standing watch (as we were wont to terme it) they now call after the French, or Wallons, Corps du gard. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres i. ii. 12 Placed for Sentinell or in the Corps de gard. 1606 Holland Sueton. 187 The corps deguarde of the [Pretorian] Souldiers, which at that time kept watch and ward. 1639 Massinger Unnat. Combat. v. ii, The sentinel slain, The corps de guard defeated too. 1716 Lond. Gaz. No. 5452/3 They were opposed by the Corps de Garde. 1726 Cavallier Mem. i. 81 When the Centry saw us, he gave notice thereof to the Cor de Guard, and the Cor de Guard to the Governor. |
2. The post or station occupied by a small military guard; a guard-room or guard-house.
| 1587 Harman tr. Beza's Serm. 334 (T.) False pastors, whom a man shall find..any where else than in their corps de gard. 1591 Garrard Art Warre 59 When he is arrived at the Corps of gard, and hath..provided for all things necessarie for the watch of that night. 1600 Holland Livy xxv. xxxix. 579 Their weapons onely stood reared up in their corps de guard [stationibus]. a 1622 A. Melville Let. in Life II. 530 (Jam.) Within my own garison and corsgard. 1705 Lond. Gaz. No. 4129/2 The Wall between that Room and the Corps de Guard was..thrown down. 1870 tr. Erckmann-Chatrian's Waterloo 125 In front of the archway of the corps-de-garde. |