poilu

Borrowed from French poilu (“brave”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈpwɑːluː]

poilu (plural poilus)

1. (historical) A French infantryman during the First World War

• oil up

From poil +‎ -u; compare Spanish peludo. The figurative sense entered the language through French military slang.

• IPA^(key): /pwa.ly/

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poilu (feminine singular poilue, masculine plural poilus, feminine plural poilues)

1. (informal) hairy

   Synonym: velu

2. (dated, figuratively) brave, courageous; energetic [late 19th c.]

• (courageous): courageux

poilu m (plural poilus)

1. (historical) poilu (French soldier during World War I)

• “poilu” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).