REARGUARD

 Dictionary entry overview: What does rearguard mean? 

• REARGUARD (noun)
  The noun REARGUARD has 1 sense:

1. a detachment assigned to protect the rear of a (retreating) military body

  Familiarity information: REARGUARD used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REARGUARD (noun)

Meaning:

A detachment assigned to protect the rear of a (retreating) military body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("rearguard" is a kind of...):

detachment (a small unit of troops of special composition)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)