evzone

A member of the Greek presidential guard.

Noun

  1. A member of the Greek presidential guard.
  2. An infantryman of a select corps of the Greek army.
    • The soldiers seen at various stations belong to the corps of the Greek army that proved itself most effective in the recent war, the Evzonoi. - 1905, Burton Holmes, The Wonders of Thessaly: The Burton Holmes Lectures:...
    • The best-paid Greek soldiers are the Evzonoi, their pay amounting to 12 lepta a day extra (that is to say, to 27 lepta net). - 1913, Percy Falcke Martin, Greece of the Twentieth Century, page 98:
    • All this time little bands of rounded-up Evzones and men of the other regiment of the garrison were being brought in, together with news of the French losses. - 1918, George Ward Price, The Story of the Salonica Army,...

Origin

From Greek εύζωνος (évzonos), from Ancient Greek εὔζωνος (eúzōnos, “girt for battle”), from εὖ (eû, “well”) + ζώνη (zṓnē, “girdle”).

Forms

evzones evzonoi evzoni