Avauntgard

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. The foremost section of a military force, which advances ahead of the main body of troops
2. The front line of an army, positioned to move and fight before the rest of the forces
3. Troops marching or stationed at the head of an army, leading the way for the main body

Etymology: Before it meant anything about art, the French "avant-garde" was a plain military term for the troops who march ahead of the main army. "Avant" means "before" and "garde" means "guard," so the whole phrase literally means "before-guard." English took it in the form "avauntgard," which kept the French spelling and sound more closely than the modern "vanguard" does. English later worn the form down to "vanguard," partly by reshaping it to look like "guard" and "van," short for "advance." The French version kept its military sense for centuries before a metaphorical turn. Writers began using it for people who lead a society into new ideas, such as artists and thinkers, imagining them as scouts ahead of everyone else. That figurative sense is the one most people now associate with the French phrase.