gravel cruncher

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A member of the military who is deployed on the ground rather than airborne.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

They developed a tremendous respect for the gravel crunchers after sweating out a few rounds of artillery and observing at painfully close range how rocky a Korean hill can be.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “gravel cruncher” mean?

A member of the military who is deployed on the ground rather than airborne.

Is “gravel cruncher” formal or informal?

gravel cruncher is generally slang.