Guerilla War
Preserved but no longer current.
A petty war carried on by bodies of irregular troops acting in- dependently of each other. From Span. guerilla, diminutive of guerra, war. The word is applied to the armed bands of peasants, and to individuals, who carry on irregular war on their own account, especially at such time as their government is contending with invading armies.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Guerilla War” mean?
A petty war carried on by bodies of irregular troops acting in- dependently of each other. From Span. guerilla, diminutive of guerra, war. The word is applied to the armed bands of peasants, and to individuals, who carry on irregular war on their own account, especially at such time as their government is contending with invading armies.
Is “Guerilla War” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.