firing squad

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Thân thiện
Definition

Noun: 1. A military detachment assigned to execute a condemned person by shooting them simultaneously. 2. A military detachment assigned to fire a salute, typically with rifles, during a funeral ceremony.

Usage

The term is used to describe a specific group of soldiers carrying out one of two formal, organized duties. The context (execution or funeral) makes the meaning clear.

Examples
  • Execution context:
  • Funeral context:
Advanced Usage
  • "To face a firing squad": An idiom meaning to face execution or, figuratively, to face severe punishment or a highly critical situation.
    • Figurative: After the failed product launch, the CEO felt like he was facing a firing squad in the board meeting.
Variants and Related Words
  • Firing party: A less common synonym, often used interchangeably, particularly in a funeral context.
Synonyms
  • Execution squad: Specifically for the execution context.
  • Firing party: (See Variants and Related Words).
Related Phrases
  • Volley: A simultaneous discharge of a number of weapons (e.g., rifles). The shots fired by a firing squad are called volleys.
  • Last rites: Religious ceremonies administered to a person immediately before execution, which a prisoner facing a firing squad might receive.
  • Blindfolded: A prisoner is often blindfolded before execution by firing squad.
Noun
  1. a squad formed to fire volleys at a military funeral or to carry out a military execution

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