Definition

Noun: 1. A military camp or quarters: A place where soldiers are housed, especially a temporary or semi-permanent camp or set of buildings established by an army. 2. The act of assigning troops to quarters: (Less common) The action of dividing and stationing troops in lodgings, often within a civilian area.

Usage

• The word "cantonment" specifically refers to military housing. It is a formal term, often used in historical, official, or military contexts.
• It can describe both the physical location (the camp itself) and, less frequently, the process of stationing troops there.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The regiment moved into a new cantonment outside the city.
  • The old British cantonment has been preserved as a historical site.
  • During the exercise, a temporary cantonment was established in the field.

Advanced Usage

• "Permanent cantonment": A long-established military station, as opposed to a temporary field camp. Many cities in South Asia have areas named "Cantonment" from the British colonial era.
  • The family lived in the Cantonment area of the city, near the old army barracks.

Variants and Related Words

• Canton (verb, archaic): To assign (troops) to quarters; to divide into parts or districts. This is the root verb from which "cantonment" is derived.
  • The army was cantoned in villages throughout the region.

Synonyms

• Barracks: A building or group of buildings used to house soldiers.
• Garrison: The troops stationed in a fortress or town to defend it; also refers to the place where such troops are stationed.
• Encampment: A place where a group, especially soldiers, is camped.
• Billet: A civilian house where soldiers are lodged temporarily.

Antonyms

• Demobilization: The act of discharging troops from military service.
• Dispersal: The action of distributing things or people over a wide area.

Noun

1. temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
   • wherever he went in the camp the men were grumbling