| B-29 |
a heavy U.S. bomber used late in World War II; Superfortress. |
| baby boom |
the dramatic population increase in the United States during the decade following World War II. |
| baby boomer |
a person born in the United States during the decade following World War II, in which the population increased dramatically. |
| bad guy |
(pl.; informal) the enemy in a war or other military engagement. [1/4 definitions] |
| battle fatigue |
severe mental distress or disorder resulting from combat in war; combat fatigue. (See shell shock.) |
| belligerence |
an act of war or hostility, or the carrying on of war; warfare. [1/2 definitions] |
| belligerency |
the position or status of a belligerent nation; condition of being at war. [1/2 definitions] |
| belligerent |
pertaining to war or to people or countries at war. [2/4 definitions] |
| blitz |
(cap.; prec. by "the") the bombing attacks on Britain carried out by the German air force in 1940 and 1941 during World War II. [1/4 definitions] |
| bluecoat |
one who wears a blue coat or uniform, esp. a police officer or a Union soldier in the U.S. Civil War. |
| booty1 |
riches or goods stolen or taken as plunder in war; loot. [1/2 definitions] |
| break out |
of a war or other violent conflict, to erupt; start. [1/5 definitions] |
| Bren gun |
a .303 caliber gas-operated submachine gun used by the British army in World War II. |
| buffer state |
a neutral country located between two potentially hostile countries and regarded as helping to discourage war. |
| cannon fodder |
soldiers that are considered expendable, replaceable material in war. |
| captive |
imprisoned or subjugated, as in war. [1/6 definitions] |
| carpetbagger |
a Northerner who went to the South to seek private gain in the aftermath of the American Civil War, usu. depicted as carrying his belongings in a carpetbag. [1/2 definitions] |
| casus belli |
(Latin) an event or occurrence that provokes or serves as a pretext to declare war. |
| cease-fire |
an order or signal to stop firing, as in war. [1/2 definitions] |
| Central Powers |
a World War I alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary together with Turkey and Bulgaria. |
| civil defense |
emergency procedures and facilities organized by civilians for the protection of people and property in cases of flood, famine, war, or the like. |