Meanings
noungrognard (plural grognards)
plural grognards
- historicalA soldier of the original imperial guard that was created by Napoleon I in 1804 and that made the final French charge at Waterloo.
- slanggamesSomeone who enjoys playing older war games or roleplaying games, or older versions of such games, when newer ones are available, and often complains frequently about newer games.
James is such a grognard: he only plays the original edition of Dungeons & Dragons.
- governmentA soldier or military enthusiast who pays meticulous attention to rules, details, and traditions, often respected for their expertise in areas that others might overlook.
For quotations using this term, see Citations:grognard.
Origin
- Frenchgrognard
- Frenchgrognard
- Englishgrognard
Borrowed from French grognard (“grumbler”).
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan veterà
- veteràold soldier
Russian гомогей
- гомогей (gomogej)games, slang: person who prefers to play older (versions of) war games or RPGs
Cite this entry
APA
grognard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grognard
MLA
“grognard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grognard. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grognard,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grognard.
Source: grognard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.