camp follower

Definitions

1. 1

   A civilian who follows an army, typically a family member of a soldier or someone who…

   A civilian who follows an army, typically a family member of a soldier or someone who provides services to the soldiers, e.g. prostitution, sale of liquor, cooking and laundry.

   • But besides these incompetents, there was always a train of camp followers, —women who followed the camp, beggars, and criminals, whose number was often greater than the number of fighting soldiers.
   • There were very few camp followers at the beginning of the American Revolution. But as the war dragged on, the need for families to be together won out.
   • General Washington, in particular, fumed about camp followers, regularly complaining that pregnant women, small children, chickens, dogs, and domestic paraphernalia drastically diminished his army's mobility.
2. 2

   A person who provides services to those engaged in a particular endeavor.

   • When the camp followers are engaged in supplying genuine recreation, in ministering to intellectual and spiritual wants instead of pandering to destructive instincts, the economic as well as the moral health of the community is sound.
   • The good fellow is the man with the good character and the object of the camp followers is to see that all the coopers and stave men have a good time.
   • Tipsters are the camp-followers of every speculative orgy, living by their wits on scraps from roaring stock markets, making their get-away before the suckers can hit back.
3. 3

   One who joins a group, movement, or project without being a legitimate member

   One who joins a group, movement, or project without being a legitimate member; one who jumps on a bandwagon.

   • Near-synonym: fellow traveller
   • I wouldn't discourage my camp followers for worlds! But I watch them pretty carefully, and when they show signs of making money, then I begin to put the screws on.

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