Definition
散兵 (sǎn bīng) literally means 'scattered soldier', but in military contexts it has two specialized senses: (1) a straggler — a soldier who has lost contact with their unit after battle; (2) a skirmisher — a light infantry soldier deployed in dispersed formation for reconnaissance or harassment. Knowing which sense is intended depends on context.
n.
straggler (a soldier separated from the main force)skirmisher (a light infantry soldier in a dispersed combat formation)
Examples
- ，散兵。Zhàndòu jiéshù hòu, hěn duō sǎn bīng zhǎo bú dào zìjǐ de duìwǔ.After the battle, many stragglers couldn't find their units.
- ，散兵。Gǔdài zhànzhēng zhōng, sǎn bīng cháng yòng yú zhēnchá hé sāorǎo.In ancient warfare, skirmishers were often used for reconnaissance and harassment.
- 散兵。Tāmen bèi pài qù zuò sǎn bīng rènwu.They were sent on skirmisher missions.
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