Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A small flag or pennant carried as a standard by a military unit.
- n. A soldier bearing such a flag or pennant.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A small guiding flag or streamer, as that usually borne by each troop of cavalry or mounted battery of artillery, or used to direct the movements of infantry, or to signal with at sea. It is broad at the end next the staff and pointed, rounded, or notched at the other end.
- n. The officer carrying the guidon.
- n. The flag of a gild or fraternity.
Wiktionary
- n. A small pennant or banner carried by infantry soldiers to direct troop movement.
- n. A soldier assigned to carry such a banner.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A small flag or streamer, as that carried by cavalry, which is broad at one end and nearly pointed at the other, or that used to direct the movements of a body of infantry, or to make signals at sea; also, the flag of a guild or fraternity. In the United States service, each company of cavalry has a guidon.
- n. One who carries a flag.
- n. One of a community established at Rome, by Charlemagne, to guide pilgrims to the Holy Land.
Etymologies
- From French guidon, from Italian guidone. (Wiktionary)
- French, from Old French, from Old Italian guidone, from guidare, to guide, from Old Provençal guidar; see guide. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“In the Barron's metaphor, Tancredo picking up the guidon was a noble and courageous act, rallying the troops.”
The Washington Post: Sig Line of the month -- the final five
“Since 1895, the silk American flag, called a guidon, has been the property of the Detroit”
“He called the guidon Culbertson found a "national treasure.”
“The guidon is the only one not captured or lost during the 1886 battle in the state of”
“Cavalry flag, known as a guidon, is expected to bring up to $5 million.”
“With an exchange of the battery's red flag called a guidon, Capt.”
“The "guidon," or color-bearer, of the Howitzers had concealed the battle flag of the company about his person, and before the final separation cut it into pieces of about four by six inches, giving each man present”
Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865
“Cavalry flag - known as a "guidon" and with a distinctive swallow-tailed shape”
“Cavalry flag - known as a "guidon" for its swallow-tailed shape - had been the property of the Detroit Institute of Arts, which paid just $54 for it in 1895.”
“Cavalry flag-known as a "guidon" for its swallow-tailed shape-had been the property of the Detroit Institute of Arts, which paid just $54 for it.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘guidon’.
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phrontistery - g
from phrontistery.info
gabardine, gabbart, gabble, gabbro, gabelle, gabion, gablock, gad, gadarene, gadoid, gadroon, gadzookery and 439 more...
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Davenport
words looked up recently from reading Guy Davenport
flenite, sampan, provender, comitatus, cycladic, surd, scialytic, lignite, plangencies, fugal, zamindary, macaque and 112 more...
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A Sequel to 250 Spelling Words
Words to quiz the intermediate and advanced speller alike
amatorio, esemplastic, etesian, cholecystitis, chantepleure, paternoster, mondegreen, aporia, kairos, idioglossia, klepht, phansigar and 238 more...
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You're a Grand Old Flag
guidon, banderole, gonfalon, pennon, ensign, banner, standard, banneret, oriflamme, pennant, jack, saltire and 64 more...
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The Grandeur That Was Rome
Friends, Romans, Countrymen: lend me your words
transpadane, palatine, capitoline, athenaeum, aedile, decemvir, cincinnatus, spqr, quirites, exedra, propraetor, Quirinal and 70 more...
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euphonic logorrhea
cephalopodous, plumulaceous, oblomovism, etiolation, pavonine, somnolent, logorrhea, fulguration, gossamer, prestidigitation, daffodil, inchoate and 174 more...
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Soldiers and Sailors
Types and nicknames.
point man, legionary, man-at-arms, trooper, janissary, marine, lobsterback, redcoat, blackcoat, guardsman, billman, foot soldier and 95 more...
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azd's Words
adamantine, abatial, ablate, ablative, abrogate, accretive, acromegaly, acrostic, actinism, actinic, acuity, adduce and 968 more...
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Oh them words, them words
My fancies, my cudgels.
liquescent, ferly, lamia, basilisk, trigon, fantast, stirp, tristesse, enfleurage, stemma, formicary, lacrimation and 346 more...
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learning
A list of words whose meanings I am learning, either because a) I don't know the meaning b) I know the meaning, but could stand to better appreciate certain inflections or secondary meanings or c) ...
louche, educe, loam, cob, sclerotic, palliate, axial, syndicalist, ecumenical, sally, fatuous, parvenu and 1381 more...
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srboisvert's Words
couverture, poffertjes, naif, endermatic, prepense, aspic, otalgia, curettage,, florid, piffling, pillock, mow and 164 more...
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Dewitful
visions of witfulness and vision - a wise guise
revision, advisor, ideal, witty, witness, veda, druid, penguin, hadal, idea, story, history and 269 more...
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Scriptie: The Shakespearean Language ...
It isn't all about fucking cocksuckers. There aren't too many shows on TV that use Wordie words. (So of course it was cancelled.)
Best viewed in cloud format.sweggen, hooplehead, cocksucker, dope, yankton, camp, pussy, bonanza, laudanum, chinaman, hoecake, free gratis and 210 more...
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Peregrinatio
words of pilgrimage in the Celtic tradition
peregrinari pro Dei amore
many from Thomas Merton's 'Mystics and Zen Masters'pergrini, St. Columba, St. Cadroe, eulogiae, Aetheria, martyrium, St. Brendan, relegatio in insulam, Le Puy, Compostela, Rocamadour, Ponce de Leras and 19 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for guidon.

fbharjo one of a Roman community dedicated to guiding pilgrims to the Holy Land
guid(e)-on Apr 1, 2010
jaime_d from "The Richard Nixon Freischutz Rag" by Guy Davenport Jan 18, 2010