зелёноармеец

From зелё̀но- (zeljòno-, “green”) +‎ арме́ец (arméjec, “infantryman”), as a pun on the кра̀сноарме́йцы (kràsnoarméjcy, “red infantrymen”) of the Red Army and the белогварде́йцы (belogvardéjcy, “white guardsmen”) of the White Army, in reference to the vast forests of rural Russia in which they operated.

• IPA^(key): [zʲɪˌlʲɵnɐɐrˈmʲe(j)ɪt͡s]

зелё̀ноарме́ец • (zeljònoarméjec) m anim (genitive зелё̀ноарме́йца, nominative plural зелё̀ноарме́йцы, genitive plural зелё̀ноарме́йцев)

1. (historical) Green army militiaman (member of one of the Green army peasant militias during the Russian Civil War of 1918 to 1922)

   Coordinate terms: кра̀сноарме́ец (kràsnoarméjec), кра̀сногварде́ец (kràsnogvardéjec), белогварде́ец (belogvardéjec)