Marksmen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who demonstrate high skill in using firearms for precise shooting
2. People who possess exceptional ability to hit designated targets with firearms
3. People skilled at accurately firing weapons, especially guns, to hit targets with precision

Etymology: "Marksmen" is simply the plural of "marksman," a compound built from "mark," meaning a target or the thing aimed at, joined by a linking "-s-" to "man," the ordinary word for a person. The "-s-" is a connecting sound rather than a separate meaning, and the compound follows the same pattern as other English words that pair a target-related noun with "man." So the literal sense is close to "one who hits the mark," which is exactly what the modern meaning describes. The plural simply pluralises the final element, giving "marksmen," where the "-men" ending follows the irregular plural of "man," like "men" in "women" and "gentlemen." Readers may recognise the same pattern in "sportsmen" and "horsemen."

Synonyms: shooters, archers, snipers, riflemen, gunners

Antonyms: misses, failures, amateurs, novices