Contextualizebeta

fifth column

noun

Etymology

From a 1936 radio address by Spanish Nationalist general Emilio Mola, in which he spoke of four of his army columns moving on Madrid and a fifth column (quinta columna) consisting of his militant supporters within the capital, intent on undermining the Republican government from within.

Definitions

  1. A group of people which clandestinely undermines a larger group, such as a nation, to…

    A group of people which clandestinely undermines a larger group, such as a nation, to which it is expected to be loyal.

  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically

    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fifth, column.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for fifth column. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA