Definition of 'guerrilla'
Word forms: plural guerrillas
countable noun [oft NOUN noun]
A guerrilla is someone who fights as part of an unofficial army, usually against an official army or police force.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
guerrilla
Word Frequency
guerrilla in British English
noun
1.
a.
b.
(as modifier)
guerrilla warfare
2.
a form of vegetative spread in which the advance is from several individual rhizomes or stolons growing rapidly away from the centre, as in some clovers
Compare phalanx Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
guerrillaism (guerˈrillaism) or guerillaism (gueˈrillaism) noun
Word origin
C19: from Spanish, diminutive of guerra warWord Frequency
guerrilla in American English
noun
adjective
Also sp. gueˈrilla
3.
of or by guerrillas
4.
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
guerrilla in American English
(ɡəˈrɪlə)
noun
1.
a member of a band of irregular soldiers that uses guerrilla warfare, harassing the enemy by surprise
raids, sabotaging communication and supply lines, etc
adjective
Also: guerilla2.
guerrilla strongholds
guerrilla tactics
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
guerrillaism noun
Word origin
[1800–10; ‹ Sp, dim. of guerra war (‹ Gmc; cf. war1); orig. in reference to the Spanish resistance against Napoleon; the name for the
struggle erroneously taken as a personal n.]Examples of 'guerrilla' in a sentence
guerrilla
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
Trends of
guerrilla
View usage for:
In other languages
guerrilla
British English: guerrilla
NOUN /ɡəˈrɪlə/
A guerrilla is someone who fights as part of an unofficial army, usually against an official army or police force.
They were kidnapped by guerillas.
- American English: guerrilla /gəˈrɪlə/
- Brazilian Portuguese: guerrilheiro
- Chinese: 游击队员
- European Spanish: guerrillero
- French: guérillero
- German: Guerillakämpfer
- Italian: guerrigliero
- Japanese: 遊撃隊員
- Korean: 게릴라병
- European Portuguese: guerrilheiro
- Latin American Spanish: guerrillero
- Thai: นักรบกองโจร
Browse alphabetically
guerrilla
Related terms of
guerrilla
Source
Definition of guerrilla from the Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
allowed or aloud?
Which version is correct?
role or roll?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
role
roll
Both sides have a to play.
broach or brooch?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
brooch
broach
They both wore large emerald es.
born or borne?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
borne
born
The injured were away in ambulances.
poor or pore?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
poor
pore
I feel sorry for the child.
Your score:
Word of the day
desertification
Desertification is the process by which a piece of land becomes dry , empty , and unsuitable for growing trees or crops on.
Latest Word Submissions
Bonfire or Guy Fawkes Night
On the night of 4 November 1605 Guy Fawkes, a Catholic, was discovered in an undercroft of the House of Lords guarding a hoard of gunpowder intended to explode the following day at the state opening of Parliament and thereby assassinate the Protestant King James I and annihilate the government.
Read more
COP26
With COP26 currently underway in Glasgow, we look at the large and constantly evolving lexicon of climate change.
Read more
Trick or treat? The eerie etymology behind popular Halloween words
Spooky season has arrived once more! Pumpkins are out in full force and this year, we decided to revisit some of our gruesome lexical offerings with a brand-new look into some of the most popular words and phrases associated with the scariest time of year.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
complex plot or vegetable plot?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
vegetable plot
complex plot
The warm wet weather is working wonders on the .
field questions or raise questions?
Which version is correct?
cut the dividends or reap dividends?
Which version is correct?
civil action or swift action?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
swift action
civil action
Witnesses praised them for their .
long-term goal or winning goal?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
winning goal
long-term goal
I scored the with ten minutes to go.
Your score: