Reservists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Those who belong to a military reserve organization and can be summoned for active service when necessary
2. Citizens trained for military operations who are primarily engaged in civilian occupations but can be activated as needed
3. Individuals enlisted in a reserve military body, ready to be called up for duty during emergencies

Etymology: The word is a plain formation: "reserve" plus the suffix "-ist", which marks a person who practises or belongs to something. The suffix has a long ancestry, travelling from Ancient Greek "-istēs", through Latin "-ista" and Old French "-iste", before reaching English as "-ist". Its Greek forms were attached to verbs and actions, so a "-ist" word named a doer, as in a person who performs a practice. "Reserve" itself comes from Old French "reserver", from Latin "reservare", meaning to keep back or save for later. That sense of holding something in readiness explains the modern noun. A reservist is someone whose civilian life is ordinary, but who has been kept back in readiness and can be called up when a military need arises.

Synonyms: soldiers, military, troops, personnel, defenders