army

plural armies

1. A large, highly organized military force, concerned mainly with ground (rather than air or naval) operations.

   The army was sent in to quell the uprising.

   2 more examples

   An army never can be commanded or controlled by civilians.

   1858, Prince George, letter to Sir Colin Campbell

   This taut, soldierly, professional story is something of a stranger among American novels about war making. Angry civilians have writ ten most of the best fiction on the subject, from “Three Soldiers” through “Catch‐22,” to make the point (with a good deal of literary overkill) that wars are mass insanity and that armies are madhouses.

   1970 September 13, Robie MacAuley, “The Army as one of life's awful necessities”, in The New York Times

   1. Used absolutely for that entire branch of the armed forces.

      The army received a bigger share of this year's budget increase than the navy or air force.

   2. capitalizedoftenWithin a vast military, a very large tactical contingent (e.g. a number of divisions).

      The Fourth Army suffered such losses that its remainders were merged into the Second Army, also deployed on the Western front.

2. The governmental agency in charge of a state's army.

   The army opposed the legislature's involvement.

3. figurativelyA large group of people working toward the same purpose.

   It took an army of accountants to uncover the fraud.

   2 more examples

   On sunny days the beaches draw armies of tourists of all kinds.

   Mr. Tenev, 33, is now in the hot seat again after Robinhood abruptly curtailed its customers’ trading last week amid a frenzy in stocks such as GameStop, which were driven sky high by an army of online investors.

   2021 February 2, Nathaniel Popper, Kellen Browning, Erin Griffith, “Robinhood’s C.E.O. Is in the Hot Seat”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

4. collectivefigurativelyA large group of animals, especially caterpillars or social insects working toward the same purpose.

   Our house is being attacked by an army of ants.

5. figurativelyAny multitude.

   There was an army of construction cranes working on building the skyscraper.

6. The military as a whole.

   The People's Liberation Army Navy of China.

   2 more examples

   The Yugoslav Army consisted of the War Navy, Ground Forces, and Air Force.

   Iran's army consists of the Navy, Ground Forces, and Air Force.

1. A sports team representing the US Military Academy at West Point.

   Army has several returning starters this year.

2. Hexagram 7 of the I Ching (䷆)

plural ARMYs

1. slanguncountablelifestyleThe fandom of the K-pop boy band BTS.

   In this manner, ARMY gives charity in the name of BTS, and BTS responds by returning charity back to society in the name of ARMY.

   2019, Jeeheng Lee, BTS and ARMY Culture, page 163

   2 more examples

   ARMY are clever, too: they urged fans not to buy J-Hope's mixtape Hope World on its release date, having worked out that delaying by a day would result in a higher ranking in the Billboard charts.

   2018, Adrian Besley, BTS: Icons of K-Pop, page 170

   The BTS boys love telling ARMY how important they are to them—without ARMY's unwavering love and support, BTS wouldn't be where they are today.

   2020, Becca Wright, The Unofficial BTS Fan Book: For the Bangtan ARMY, page 25

2. countableslanglifestyleAn individual fan of the K-pop boy band BTS.

   Entering the theater, I expected the room to be filled with ARMYs decked out in their BTS merchandise.

   2018 December, Ashley Chen, “BTS film rallies a large army”, in The Union, page 13

   2 more examples

   It began when an ARMY tweeted something along the lines of: “If there are so many of us everywhere in the world, shouldn't we make a change and help people?”

   2019, Jeeheng Lee, BTS and ARMY Culture, page 160

   As of this writing, the Philippines is not included in the tour but Filipino ARMYs are hoping the group will eventually perform in Manila for a fourth time.

   2020 February 2, Rachel Anne Macarandang, “BTS To The World”, in BusinessMirror, page 4