Light Infantry
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In the British Army, infantry carrying less equipment than normal and trained to move at high speed in manoeuvring
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 “Light Infantry” mean?
In the British Army, infantry carrying less equipment than normal and trained to move at high speed in manoeuvring
Is “Light Infantry” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.