poilu

noun

poi·​lu pwäl-ˈyü 

pwä-ˈlü;

ˈpwäl-ˌyü,

ˈpwä-ˌlü;

pwä-ˈlᵫ 

: a French soldier

especially : a front-line soldier in World War I

Word History

Etymology

French, from poilu hairy, from Middle French, from poil hair, from Old French peil, Latin pilus

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above