corporal
noun/ˈkɔːpərəl/
/ˈkɔːrpərəl/
(abbreviation Cpl)
- a member of one of the lower ranks in the army, the marines or the British air force
- Corporal Smith
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French, obsolete variant of caporal, from Italian caporale, probably based on Latin corpus, corpor- ‘body (of troops)’, with a change of spelling in Italian due to association with capo ‘head’.Want to learn more?
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