Idioms · 2 entries

Military

What does "Military" mean?

1. A military command to turn when on parade. 2. A change from one’s previous position.

1. USA. 2. British.

Britain. 19th century.

Entry 1

Meaning 1. A military command to turn when on parade. 2. A change from one’s previous position.

Usage Both meanings are widely used.

Example

1. Stand to attention! Present arms! About face! 2. Winston Churchill joined parliament as a Conservative and then did an about face and changed to the Liberals, before going about face again and re-joining the Conservatives.

Pronunciation

Entry 2

Meaning Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage by being reckless.

Example

These negotiations with the Chinese are at a critical stage. Keep Jack out of it, he's just the sort of loose cannon that would say the wrong thing and upset them.

Pronunciation