Word of the Day

: February 21, 2009

fugleman

noun FYOO-gul-mun

What It Means

: one at the head or forefront of a group or movement

fugleman in Context

Yemelyan Pugachov emerged in 18th-century Russia as fugleman of a mass rebellion among his fellow Cossacks, serfs, factory workers, and religious dissidents.

Did You Know?

A fugleman (adapted from the German "Flügelmann," literally "wing man" but commonly meaning "file leader") was originally a soldier posted in front of a line of soldiers to serve as a model in their drill exercises. Today, with its more figurative meaning, the word is often used pejoratively as a synonym of "mouthpiece" or "ringleader." "Fugleman" is by no means a common word, but it does appear in the occasional newspaper article.