Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A leader, especially a political leader.
  • noun A soldier designated as a guide or model for a company's maneuvers or drills.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A soldier specially expert and well drilled, who takes his place in front of a military company as an example or model to the others in their exercises; a file-leader.
  • noun Hence One who takes the initiative in any movement, and sets an example for others to follow; particularly, one who acts as the mouthpiece or in the interest of another or others; a ringleader.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Mil.) A soldier especially expert and well drilled, who takes his place in front of a military company, as a guide for the others in their exercises; a file leader. He originally stood in front of the right wing.
  • noun Jocose Hence, one who leads the way.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The member of a military group who leads the way or demonstrates drill
  • noun by extension A political leader, or a ringleader

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a leader and organizer and spokesman (especially a political leader)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration of German Flügelmann, file leader : Flügel, wing (from Middle High German vlügel; see pleu- in Indo-European roots) + Mann, man (from Middle High German man, from Old High German; see man- in Indo-European roots).]

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Examples

Comments

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  • not to be confused with fugly-man.

    October 18, 2007

  • Great comment by vera :-)

    December 20, 2007

  • "FUGLEMAN or flugleman is the soldier who stands in front of a squad to give the motions." (citation in list description)

    October 9, 2008