Johnny Reb

noun

: a Confederate soldier

Examples of Johnny Reb 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.
As Harris says, that was just the appetizer at their first stop, Johnny Reb’s True South. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2023 No, Caroline always contained the image of a toppled and beheaded Confederate memorial, a Johnny Reb statue turning a bilious copper green in the wet Louisiana air. Helen Shaw, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2021 On a Southern Civil War monument, that soldier would be a stern Johnny Reb. The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2021 Now, the Chapmans are spearheading an effort to put a monument to the Lovings at Main Street and Commercial Place, where Johnny Reb once stood. Ryan Murphy, Washington Post, 11 July 2020 As a newcomer to Texas that year, I was flabbergasted by the students’ waving of a Confederate flag, by its spirit team name — Johnny Reb — and by the school’s Rebel mascot. Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 18 June 2020

Word History

Etymology

from the name Johnny + reb rebel

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Johnny Reb was in 1862

Dictionary Entries Near Johnny Reb

Cite this Entry

“Johnny Reb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Johnny%20Reb. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!