Fight Fire With Fire: English Vocabulary List

to defeat someone completely and decisively

"The hero vanquished the evil dragon."

"The hero managed to vanquish the evil dragon and save the kingdom from destruction."

to participate in and carry out a specific action, such as a war or campaign

"The country waged war against its neighbor."

"The nation decided to wage a war against its aggressive neighbors."

a soldier of low rank who is a member of the military unit that uses either strong covering or vehicles protected by them

"The trooper rode his horse."

"The cavalry trooper charged bravely into battle, his armor gleaming under the sun."

an agreement according to which enemies or opponents stop fighting each other for a specific period of time

"The truce lasted long."

"The two warring factions agreed to a temporary truce to allow humanitarian aid delivery."

a building or a set of buildings for soldiers to live in

"Soldiers live in barracks."

"The soldiers slept in crowded barracks with bunk beds and footlockers for their belongings."

a military unit composed of a varying number of companies or platoons, typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel

"A battalion of soldiers marched through the town in formation."

"A battalion is a medium-sized military unit typically composed of several hundred soldiers"

nnecessary spilling of blood, typically resulting from battles, conflicts, or acts of aggression

"The battle caused bloodshed."

"The prolonged conflict unfortunately resulted in significant bloodshed and widespread destruction."

a military action where the enemy is prevented from letting people or equipment through a certain area; often enforced with armed forces

"The navy set up a blockade."

"The navy established a blockade around the enemy port to prevent any ships from entering or leaving."

a large group of trained soldiers that is smaller than a division

"The brigade marched forward."

"The elite brigade was deployed to the front lines to secure the strategic mountain pass."

an officer in the army who is ranked between a colonel and a major general

"Brigadier general commanded."

"The brigadier general commanded his troops with great skill during the operation."

the highest-ranking officer in a fleet

"The admiral commands fleet."

"The admiral commanded the fleet of warships during the naval exercise in the Atlantic."

to wait in a concealed location and launch a surprise attack on a target

"The soldiers ambushed the enemy convoy."

"The rebel soldiers planned to ambush the government convoy as it passed through the narrow mountain pass at dawn."

the military equipment and weaponry used by a country or military force

"The country increased its armament before the coming war."

"Armament refers to the total military weapons and equipment possessed by a nation"

to murder a prominent figure in a sudden attack, usually for political purposes

"The assassin tried to assassinate the leader."

"The secret service foiled a plot to assassinate the political leader just hours before the public event was scheduled to begin."

a group of soldiers in an army who fight by armored vehicles

"The cavalry charged the enemy."

"Armor cavalry is a modern military unit mounted on heavily armored main battle tanks"

a temporary peace during a battle or war when discussions regarding permanent peace is taking place

"The two sides agreed to a ceasefire after months of bloody fighting."

"Humanitarian aid finally reached the city after both armies respected the ceasefire agreement."

a state of unfriendly relationship between two states which are not openly at war with each other

"The Cold War lasted many years."

"The Cold War was a prolonged period of geopolitical hostility without direct military conflict"

to make secret plans with other people to commit an illegal or destructive act

"The group conspired against the government."

"The two employees conspired to steal trade secrets from their employer and sell them to a rival company for a large profit."

a legal procedure for military personnel who break military laws; leading to charges against them

"Face court martial."

"The soldier had to face court martial after disobeying orders during the mission."

an order or law that prohibits people from going outside after a specific time, particularly at night

"Curfew starts at night."

"The city imposed a curfew requiring everyone to stay indoors after eight in the evening."

the action of transferring people or being transferred to somewhere else to be safe from a dangerous situation

"The evacuation saved many lives."

"An evacuation is the urgent withdrawal of people from a dangerous place to a safer location"

a military stronghold where soldiers are stationed for defense

"The garrison held the fort against the enemy for many days."

"A garrison is a permanent military base housing troops assigned to defend a specific strategic location"

to secretly enter an organization or group with the aim of spying on its members or gathering information

"The spy infiltrates the enemy base."

"The spy managed to infiltrate the enemy organization by pretending to be a loyal soldier and supporter."

a soldier who fights in a very large group that is a part of an army called legion

"The legionary fought bravely."

"The disciplined legionary followed orders precisely, forming a shield wall against the advancing enemy forces."

a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army, often motivated by payment rather than ideological or national allegiance

"The mercenary fought only for gold"

"The army hired a group of mercenaries to fight in the conflict because they needed experienced soldiers but did not want to risk their own citizens."

a person or an animal that wanders around in search of places to destroy, people to kill and steal from

"Band of marauder."

"A band of marauder attacked the village and stole many valuable things long ago."

a military group consisting of civilians who have been trained as soldiers to help the army in emergencies

"The militia trained every weekend."

"A militia is a military force composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers"

(of a state) to organize and prepare for a military operation

"The nation mobilizes for war."

"The government quickly mobilized the army to help rescue victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the region."

to plunder, typically during times of war or civil unrest

"The invaders pillaged the entire village."

"The invading soldiers continued to pillage every village they encountered on their march through the valley."

an organized action, usually violent, against an authority, attempting to bring about a change

"Armed rebellion lasted."

"The armed rebellion against the king lasted for several years in the past."

a former member of the armed forces who has fought in a war

"My grandfather is a veteran of the Second World War."

"The elderly veteran proudly wore his medals from the war."

an official agreement between two countries or groups of people

"The two nations signed a peace accord."

"The two countries reached an accord on trade after months of difficult and tense negotiations."

to carry out a sudden and intense military attack

"The army blitzed the enemy positions."

"The army planned to blitz the enemy positions with a rapid and overwhelming attack at dawn."

to drop bombs on someone or something continuously

"The planes bombarded the enemy base."

"The enemy forces began to bombard the city with heavy artillery shells causing widespread destruction and panic among civilians."

bullets, shells, or other projectiles used in firearms

"The truck carried ammunition for the soldiers at the front."

"Ammunition is the projectiles and propellant charges fired from weapons"

a person who is not a member of or not on active duty in armed forces or the police

"He is a civilian."

"The report detailed the devastating impact of the conflict on the civilian population, causing widespread displacement."

to gain control of a place or people using armed forces

"They conquer the land."

"The victorious army managed to conquer the entire kingdom within a year."

a group of military personnel sent to join a larger force

"A small contingent of soldiers guarded the gate."

"The military contingent from our country joined the international peacekeeping force last year."

an unexpected, illegal, and often violent attempt to change a government

"The military took power in a sudden coup last year."

"The general led a military coup that overthrew the democratically elected president and established a new dictatorship."

a device created to cause explosion and fire in order to completely destroy something

"The incendiary caused damage."

"The saboteurs planted an incendiary device designed to destroy the enemy's supply depot."