Illustrated Glossary of Military History
Military Miniatures Magazine offers an illustrated multi-lingual glossary of common and less well-known military terms which may be of interest to military modellers, miniature collectors, and diorama builders.
Readers of Military Miniatures Magazine are actively encouraged to suggest additional military terms and expressions which deserve to be covered here.
| English | Deutsch | Français | Italiano | Español |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| advancing | vorgehend | avançant | avanzando | avanzando |
| amble | Passgang | |||
| ambler | Passgänger | |||
| ammunition box | Patronenkasten | boîte à munitions | scatola munizioni | caja de municiones |
| Anschluss | ||||
| Arnauts | Arnauten | Arnaoutes | Arnauti | Arnautas |
| arquebus | Arkebuse | arquebuse | archibugio | arcabuz |
| arquebusiers | Arkebusiere | arquebusiers | archibugieri | arcabuceros |
| arrowslit, arrow loop | Bogenscharte | meurtrière | balestriera | arquera |
| artillery | Artillerie | artillerie | artiglieria | artillería |
| artilleryman, gunner | Artillerist | artilleur | artigliere | artillero |
| artillery piece | Geschütz | pièce d’artillerie | pezzo di artiglieria | pieza de artillería |
| attacking | angreifend | attaquant | attaccando | atacando |
| automatic rifle | Leichtes Maschinengewehr | fusil mitrailleur | fucile mitragliatore | fusil automático |
| Azap | Azap | Azap | Azap | Azap |
| bagpiper | Sackpfeifer | joueur de cornemuse | suonatore di cornamusa | gaitero |
| Bajonettjäger | ||||
| balistraria | Armbrustscharte | arbalétrière | balestriera | ballestera |
| bandolier | Bandelier | bandoulière, baudrier | bandoliera | canana |
| banquette | Bankett | banquette | ||
| bastion | Bastion | bastion | bastione | bastión, baluarte |
| battle | Schlacht | bataille | battaglia | batalla |
| Battle Order | ||||
| bicorne | Zweispitz | bicorne | bicorno | bicornio |
| branch-of-service colour | Waffenfarbe | |||
| bridgehead | Brückenkopf | tête de pont | testa di ponte | cabeza de puente |
| bridge layer, armoured vehicle-launched bridge | Brückenlegepanzer | ponteur, véhicule blindé lanceur de pont | veicolo gettaponte corazzato | tanque lanzapuentes |
| bridle | Zaum | bride | testiera | brida |
| bristle | Borste | soie | setola | cerda |
| Büchsenjäger | ||||
| bugler | Hornist | clairon | ||
| busby | Kolpak | colback | colbacco | colbac |
| calvary regiment [sic] | n.a. | n.a. | ||
| Capsquares | Pfanndeckel | sus-bandes | ||
| carabiniers | Karabiniers | carabiniers | carabinieri | carabineros |
| cartridge | Patrone | cartouche | cartuccia | cartucho |
| cartridge pouch | Patronentasche | giberne | giberna | cartuchera |
| caterpillar helmet | Raupenhelm | casque à chenille | elmo a cresta in ciniglia | casco de oruga |
| cavalry | Kavallerie | cavalerie | cavalleria | caballería |
| cavalry guidon | Lanzenfahne | guidon | ||
| cavalry point | Kavalleriespitze | tête de cavalerie | ||
| charge | Charge | charge | carica | carga |
| charging | chargierend, stürmend | chargeant | assaltando | cargando, asaltando |
| Chevaux de Frise | Spanische Reiter | chevaux de Frise | cavallo di Frisia | campo frisio |
| chevau-légers | Chevau-légers | chevau-légers | cavalleggeri | caballos ligeros |
| citadel | Zitadelle | citadelle | cittadella | ciudadela |
| close defence weapon | Nahverteidigungswaffe | arme de défense rapprochée | arma da difesa ravvicinata | arma de defensa cercana |
| coatee | Coatee | coatee | coatee | coatee |
| collar | Kragen | collet | colletto | cuello |
| collar tabs | Kragenspiegel | pattes de col | mostrina | |
| colours | Fahne | drapeau | bandiera | bandera |
| column of files | Reihenkolonne | |||
| column of three’s | Abmarsch | |||
| company colours | Kompaniefahne | drapeau de compagnie | ||
| command group | Führungsgruppe | groupe de commandement | gruppo comando | grupo de mando |
| company column | Kompaniekolonne | colonne de compagnie | colonna di compagnie | columna por compañias |
| compressed air storage tank | Bremsdruckluftbehälter | réservoir de stockage de l’air comprimé | serbatoio di stoccaggio d’aria compressa | depósito de almacenamiento de aire comprimido |
| corbie step | Katzentreppen | |||
| cords | Schnüre (Dolman) | brandebourgs | cordini | cordones |
| cornet | Kornett | cornette | cornetta | corneta |
| corps colour | Waffenfarbe | |||
| counter-epaulette | Konterepauletten | contre épaulette | controspalline | charretera |
| crested helmet with horsehair tail | Bügelhelm mit Rosshaarschweif | casque à cimier | elmo a cresta | casco de cresta |
| crossbow | Armbrust | arbalète | balestra | ballesta |
| crossbow bolt, quarrel | Armbrustbolzen | carreau d’arbalète | quadrello da balestra | saeta de ballesta |
| crossbowman | Armbrustschütze | arbalétrier | balestriere | ballestero |
| crow-stepped gable | Stufengiebel | |||
| cuff | Aufschlag (Uniform) | parement | paramano, polsino | bocamanga, puño |
| cuff flap | Aufschlagpatte | patte de parement | patta di paramano | cartera del puño |
| cuirassiers | Kürassiere | cuirassiers | corazzieri | coraceros |
| curb bit | Kandare | mors de bride | imboccatura | bocado |
| Dastar | Dastar | Dastar | Dastar | Dastar |
| depot | Depot | dépôt | deposito | depósito |
| dismounted | abgesessen | á pied | appiedato, a piedi | desmontado, a pie |
| ditch | Graben | fossé | fossato | foso |
| dragoons | Dragoner | dragons | dragoni | dragones |
| drum major | Tambourmajor | tambour-major | tamburo maggiore | tambor mayor |
| drummer | Tambour | tambour | tamburo | tambor |
| eagle-bearer | Adlerträger | porte-aigle | porta aquila | porta-águila |
| ejector pin marks | Auswerfermarkierungen | |||
| embrasure | Schießscharte | embrasure | feritoia, feritoie | aspillera, tronera |
| entrenching tool | kleines Schanzzeug | |||
| epaulettes | Epauletten | épaulettes | spalline | charreteras |
| face | Face | face | ||
| facing colour | Abzeichenfarbe | couleur distinctive | colore distintivo | color distintivo |
| fallen, casualty | Gefallener | tombé | caduto | caído |
| Feldjäger | ||||
| field artillery | Feldartillerie | artillerie de campagne | artiglieria da campagna | artillería de campaña |
| field-carriage limber | Kastenprotze | avant-train de campagne | ||
| fighting trunnion hole | Chargierlager | |||
| firearms | Handfeuerwaffen | |||
| firing | schießend | tirant | sparando | tirando |
| flag-bearer | Fahnenträger | porte-drapeau | portabandiera | abanderado |
| fleche | Flesche | flèche | ||
| flank grenadiers, wing grenadiers | Flügelgrenadiers | |||
| foot artillery | Fußartillerie | artillerie à pied | artiglieria a piedi | artillería a pie |
| forage | Fourage | fourrage | foraggio | forraje |
| fourrier | Fourier | fourrier | ||
| Freikorps | ||||
| Freischaren | bandes franches | |||
| Freiwillige Jäger | ||||
| frock coat | Gehrock | redingote | redingote | levita |
| frogs | Schnüre (Dolman) | brandebourgs | cordini | cordones |
| Full Marching Order | ||||
| fur (dolman) | Pelzbesatz | fourrure | pellicce | piel, borde de piel |
| glacis | Glacis | glacis | glacis | glacis |
| gorge, throat | Kehle | gorge | ||
| greatcoat | Mantel | capote (inf.), manteau (cav.) | cappotto | abrigo |
| grenadier mitre cap | Grenadiermütze | mitre de grenadiers | mitria di granatieri | mitra de granaderos |
| guidon | Lanzenwimpel | guidon | ||
| gunner, artilleryman | Artillerist | artilleur | artigliere | artillero |
| handling cartridge | Patrone ergreifend, die | prenant la cartouche | afferrando una cartuccia | extrayendo un cartucho |
| harquebusiers | Arkebusierreiter | argoulets | harquebusier | herguletiers |
| haversack | Brotbeutel | |||
| headdress | Kopfbedeckung | couvre-chef | copricapo | cubrecabeza |
| heavy limber without boxes | Sattelprotze | avant-train sans coffre | ||
| Hirschfänger | ||||
| hood sticks, hoops | Spriegel | |||
| horse artillery | Reitende Artillerie | artillerie à cheval | artiglieria a cavallo | artillería a caballo |
| hussars | Husaren | hussards | ussari | húsares |
| infantry | Infanterie | infanterie | fanteria | infantería |
| infantry point | Infanteriespitze | tête d‘infanterie | ||
| Jacobites | Jakobiten | Jacobites | Giacobiti | Jacobitas |
| Jäger | chasseur | cacciatori | cazadores | |
| Janissaries | Janitscharen | Janissaires | Giannizzeri | Jenízaros |
| kalpak | Kalpak | kalpak | kalpak | kalpak |
| Katzbalger | Katzbalger | Katzbalger | Katzbalger | destripagatos |
| kepi | Käppi | képi | kepi | quepi |
| King’s colours | King’s colours | drapeau du roi | ||
| knapsack | Tornister | havresac | zaino | mochila |
| Kleingerät | ||||
| Kochgeschirr | ||||
| Kolonnenjäger | ||||
| lace | Litze | galon, ruban | gallone | galón |
| lance | Lanze | lance | lancia | lanza |
| lance pennon | Lanzenfahne | flamme de lance | pennone di lancia | pendón de lanza |
| lapel | Rabatte | revers | risvolto | solapa |
| Leibfahne | ||||
| Leibkompanie | ||||
| Liebfahne [sic] | n.a. | n.a. | ||
| Lieb-Regiment [sic] | n.a. | n.a. | ||
| life guards | Leibtruppen | Gardes du corps | ||
| light dragoons | Leichte Dragoner | dragons légers | dragoni leggeri | dragones ligeros |
| Light Fighting Order | ||||
| light machine gun | Leichtes Maschinengewehr | mitrailleuse légère | mitragliatrice leggera | ametralladora ligera |
| limber | Protze | avant-train | avantreno | avantrén |
| limber ammunition box | Protzkasten | coffre d’avant-train | & | & |
| lunette | Lünette | lunette | lunetta | & |
| machine gun | Maschinengewehr | mitrailleuse | mitragliatrice | ametralladora |
| Machine Gun Team | MG-Trupp | |||
| main point of attack | Schwerpunkt | |||
| major | Major | major | maggiore | mayor |
| marching | marschierend | marchant | marciando | marchando |
| matchsticks | Streichhölzer | allumettes | fiammiferi | fósforos |
| mess kit, mess tin | Kochgeschirr | gamelle | ||
| Military Step | Gleichschritt | pas cadencé | ||
| militia | Miliz, Landwehr | milice | milizia | milicia |
| moat | Graben | fossé | fossato | foso |
| mortar team | Granatwerfertrupp | |||
| mould line | Gussnaht | |||
| mountain gun | Gebirgsgeschütz | canon de montagne | cannone da montagna | cañón de montaña |
| mounted | beritten | monté | montato | montado |
| musket | Muskete | mousquet | moschetto | mosquete |
| musketeers | Musketiere | mousquetaires | moschettieri | mosqueteros |
| Musketry Order | ||||
| Oberjäger | ||||
| opening the pan | die Pfanne öffnent | ouvrant le bassinet | aprendo il scodellino | descubriendo la cazoleta |
| Ordinärfahne | drapeau d’ordonnance | |||
| Pagri | Pagri | Pagri | Pagri | Pagri |
| palankas | Palanken | palanque | stockade | empalizada |
| parapet | Brustwehr | parapet | parapetto | parapeto |
| pennon | Lanzenwimpel | pennon | pennoncello | pendón |
| petty warfare | Kleiner Krieg, Kleinkrieg | petite guerre | ||
| pig bristles | Schweinsborsten | soies de porc | setole di maiale | cerdas de cerdo |
| pin wash, pin-point wash | Pin Wash | pin wash | pin wash | pin wash |
| piping | Paspel, Paspelierung | passepoil | cordoncino | cordoncillo |
| pistol | Pistole | pistolet | pistola | pistola |
| plastron | Plastron | plastron | plastron | plastrón |
| plume | Stutz, Federbusch | plumet | piuma, piumetto | pluma |
| Point | Spitze | tête | ||
| Polystyrene (PS) | Polystyrol | Polystyrène | Polistirene | Poliestireno |
| pompon | Pompon | pompon | fiocco | pompón |
| pontoon | Ponton | ponton | ||
| pontoon bridge | Pontonbrücke | pont flottant | ||
| pose | Pose | pose | posa, postura | postura |
| poseur, poser | Poseur | poseur | ||
| Poshteen | Poshteen | Poshteen | Poshteen | Poshteen |
| posing, to pose | Posieren | poser | posare | posar |
| Posteen | Posteen | Posteen | Posteen | Posteen |
| priming the pan | Pulver auf die Pfanne gebend | amorçant le bassinet | versando di polvere nello scodellino | cebando la cazoleta |
| ramrod | Ladestock | baguette | bacchetta | bagueta |
| ramming the charge | die Ladung stoßend | tassant la cartouche | spingendo la cartuccia | atacando el cartucho |
| rampart | Wall | talus | terrapieno, vallo | terraplén, muralla |
| rangefinder | Distanzmesser, Entfernungsmesser | télémètre | telemetro | telémetro |
| redan | Redan | redent, redan | ||
| relief | Entsatz | secours | soccorso | socorro |
| regimental colours | Regimentsfahne | drapeau régimentaire | ||
| repelling cavalry | Kavallerie abweisend | repoussant cavalerie | repellendo cavalleria | repeliendo caballería |
| Retinue | Gefolge, Gefolgschaft | |||
| ribbon | Litze | galon, ruban | gallone | galón |
| rifle | Büchse | |||
| Rifles | Büchsenschützen | |||
| Rotte | ||||
| Running | Laufen | |||
| sabre | Säbel | sabre | sciabola | sable |
| sack coat | Sackrock, Sakko | sack coat, veston | sack coat, giacca da fatica | sack coat, chaqueta de fatiga |
| section | Sektion, Gruppe | section | ||
| shabrack | Schabracke | chabraque | gualdrappa | gualdrapa |
| shako | Tschako | shako | shakò | chacó |
| shell jacket | Shell Jacket, Spenzer | vareuse | shell jacket, giacca corta | shell jacket, chaqueta corta |
| short shot | kurzer Schuss | |||
| sidearm | Seitengewehr | |||
| siege | Belagerung | siège | assedio | asedio |
| siege artillery | Belagerungsartillerie | artillerie de siège | artiglieria d’assedio | artillería de asedio |
| siege limber without boxes | Sattelprotze | avant-train sans coffre | ||
| single file | Reihe | |||
| Sipahi | Sipahi | Sipahi | Sipahi | Sipahi |
| Skeleton Order | ||||
| skirmishing | plänkelnd | escarmouchant | scaramucciando | escaramuzando |
| small arms | Kleines Gewehr | |||
| smoke grenade dischargers | Nebelmittelwurfanlage | lance-pots fumigène | lanciafumogeni | lanza fumígenos |
| Soutien | soutien | |||
| sovereign’s colours | Leibfahne | drapeau colonel | ||
| sovereign’s company | Leibkompanie | compagnie colonelle | ||
| sovereign’s standard | Leibstandarte | étendard colonel | ||
| standard-bearer | Standartenträger | porte-étendard | portastendardo | portaestandarte |
| standing collar | Stehkragen | collet droit | colletto dritto | cuello derecho |
| stepped gable | Staffelgiebel, Stufengiebel | |||
| Stub Axle | Achsschenkel | |||
| Table of Organization and Equipment (TOE) | Stärke- und Ausrüstungsnachweisung (StAN) | Tableau d’Effectifs et de Dotation (TED) | ||
| tailcoat | Frack | frac, queue-de-pie | frac, marsina | frac |
| Talwar, tulwar | Talwar | Talwar | Talwar | Talwar |
| tambour | Tambour | tambour | tamburo | tambor |
| tank close assault team | Panzernahkampftrupp | |||
| tent | Zelt | tente | tenda | tienda |
| tête | Tete | tête | ||
| throwing grenade | Granate werfend | lançant grenade | lanciando granata | lanzando granada |
| tin pest | Zinnpest | peste de l’étain | peste dello stagno | peste del estaño |
| trail chest | Lafettenkasten | coffret d’affût | cassettino d’affusto | & |
| traveling trunnion hole | Marschlager der Lafette | |||
| tricorne | Dreispitz | tricorne | tricorno | tricornio |
| trumpeter | Trompeter | trompette | trombettiere | trompeta |
| trunnion | Schildzapfen | tourillon | ||
| trunnion hole | Schildzapfenlager, Zapfenlager | logement des tourillons | ||
| turban | Turban | turban | turbante | turbante |
| turnbacks | Schoßumschläge | retroussis | falde | dobleces |
| valise | ||||
| valise porte-manteau | Mantelsack | valise porte-manteau | ||
| volute gable | Volutengiebel | pignon à volutes, chantourné | timpano a voluta | hastial holandés, frontal flamenco |
| wargame | Kriegsspiel | jeu de guerre | gioco di guerra | juego de guerra |
| wedge | Keil | |||
| wheeling | Schwenken | |||
| wheeling in | Einschwenken | |||
| wheeling off | Abschwenken | |||
| wood | Holz | bois | legno | madera |