dogface

Enlisted foot soldier

Dogface is old military slang for an enlisted infantryman, especially in the U.S.

Army during World War II.

The term suggests the unglamorous, ground-level grunt work of foot soldiers: The dogfaces slogged through the mud while officers stayed dry.

It's affectionate rather than insulting—soldiers used it among themselves.

The word also refers to a type of butterfly with markings resembling a dog's profile.

infantryman

grunt

Low guttural sound

foot-soldierCommon enlisted combatant
infantryGround combat troops
privateRestricted to certain parties

GI · doughboy · enlisted · trooper · rifleman · soldier · army · serviceman · squad · platoon

primate

baboon

Dog-snouted Old World monkey

monkeyTailed primate mammal
snoutBeast's protruding face
muzzleAnimal's nose area

Ethiopia · highland · mammal · primate · troop · foraging · grazing

butterfly

caterpillar

Moth or butterfly young

chrysalisPupal casing for metamorphosis
metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
wingsLimbs for flight

antennae · proboscis · nectar · flutter · flit · pollination · lepidopterist · larva · pupa · scales

Categories

butterfliesmonarch, swallowtail, painted lady, red admiral, viceroy
military slangFUBAR, hoorah, devil dog, SNAFU, GI
Army Enlistedprivate, corporal, sergeant, specialist, PFC
enlisted soldiersprivate, corporal, sergeant, enlisted man, recruit
vintage slangbee's knees, cat's meow, copacetic, groovy, hep

Opposites

military rank/status

dogfacegeneral

Widespread, not specialized

officer · brass · top brass · commissioned officer · commanding officer

military vs. civilian status

dogfacecivilian

Non-military person

noncombatant · civvy · draft dodger · conscientious objector · war profiteer

Family

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG