laager

English

Alternative forms

• lager

Etymology

From South African Dutch lager (“camp”) (modern Afrikaans laer), from German Lager, from Middle High German leger, from Old High German legar, from Proto-Germanic *legrą. Doublet of lager and lair.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɑː.ɡə/
• (Canada, military) IPA^(key): /ˈli.ɡəɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɑːɡə(ɹ)

Noun

laager (plural laagers)

1. A defensive encampment encircled by wagons, especially by South African Boers.
   • 1897, James Bryce, Impressions of South Africa:

     Wagons […] can be readily formed into a laager, a camp, by being drawn into a circle, with the oxen placed inside and so kept safe from the attacks of wild beasts.

   • 1978, André Brink, Rumours of Rain, Vintage, published 2000, page 332:

     “And for how long d'you think you're going to be safe in the cities?” Louis persisted. “Just a matter of time, then our frontiers will shrink as we draw our little laager more and more tightly.”

2. (military) A temporary formation of armoured vehicles for resupply.

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with lager beer (though both words come from the German Lager).

Translations

Verb

laager (third-person singular simple present laagers, present participle laagering, simple past and past participle laagered)

1. (transitive) To arrange in a circular formation for defence.
   • 1917, H. Rider Haggard, Finished:

     At the foot of this isolated mount, whereof the aspect somehow filled me with alarm, we camped on the night of January 21, taking no precautions against attack by way of laagering the wagons.

2. (intransitive) To camp in a circular formation.
   • 2000, Jeff Dossett, Delayed Detonation, page 44:

     That evening, we laagered close to a large open area covered with elephant grass about six feet high.

See also

• laager on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• circle the wagons

Anagrams

• aglare, alegar

Estonian

Etymology

From German Lager. Etymological twin of leer.

Noun

laager (genitive laagri, partitive laagrit)

1. camp
2. bearing (mechanical device)

Declension