partisan
noun
- Type of polearm
adjective
- favoring one party
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/ / /ˌpɑː.tɪˈzæn/ / /ˈpɑɹ.tɪ.zən/
adj
Etymology: From French partisan, from Italian partigiano (“defender of a party”), from parte (“part”). Doublet of partigiano. Attested in English from the late 15th century in the noun sense of "party adherent", and in related adjective senses from the 16th century. The "guerrilla fighter" sense influenced by Serbo-Croatian partizan, Russian партиза́н (partizán), from the same source. The sense of "guerrilla fighter" is from c. 1690. The adjective in the military sense dates from the early 18th century.
- Serving as commander or member of a body of detached light troops.
“partisan officer, partisan corps”
- Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party.
“They were blinded by partisan zeal.”
“Having put partisan interests to one side, Greenwood set about making teamwork a watchword for her chairmanship, while seeking the broadest possible participation in subsequent inquiries.”
- Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause.
“partisan politics”
“England will regard it as a measure of justice for Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany in Bloemfontein at the 2010 World Cup - but it was also an illustration of how they rode their luck for long periods in front of a predictably partisan home crowd.”
noun
Etymology: From French partizaine, from Middle French partizaine, partisanne etc., from Italian partigiana, related to Etymology 1 above (apparently because it was seen as a typical weapon of such forces).
- A long-handled spear with a triangular, double-edged blade having lateral projections, in some forms also used in boar hunting.
“I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service as a partisan I could not heave.”
“Salisbury and his attendants were also now drawing near, with bills and partisans brandished, and bows already bended.”
- A soldier armed with such a weapon.