landwehr

noun

land·​wehr

ˈläntˌvār

plural -s

: the part of the organized national armed forces (as in the former German and Austrian empires, Japan, Switzerland) that has completed the required service with the colors and constitutes the second line of defense

Word History

Etymology

German, from Middle High German lantwer forces called for defense of the land, from Old High German lantweri defense of the land, from lant land + weri defense

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!