brownshirt

noun

brown·​shirt ˈbrau̇n-ˌshərt How to pronounce brownshirt (audio)
often capitalized
: nazi
especially : storm trooper

Examples of brownshirt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So too Lewis Milestone’s 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front (#45), at least in Germany, where the movie’s antiwar message caused Nazi brownshirts to disrupt screenings and attack movie patrons. — J. Hoberman, The New Republic, 22 June 2023 Some elements of the Wolfe collection have already been sold, but the remaining items up for auction Saturday include Hitler’s uniform visor hat, a brownshirt uniform and several medals, including an Iron Cross, Gottlieb said. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brownshirt was in 1932

Rhymes for brownshirt

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Browse Nearby Words

brownshirt
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Cite this Entry

“Brownshirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brownshirt. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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