Forms: 4 bregaund, 5 brigaunt, brygaunt, 5–7 brigant, 6 brigane, brygand, 6–8 brigan, 6– brigand. [ME. a. OF. brigand (14th c. in Littré) = Pr. bregan irregular soldier; prob. ad. It. brigante, of which the primary meaning might be ‘skirmisher,’ f. brigare: see BRIGUE v. and BRIGADE. It occurs in med.L. in 14th c. in the forms brigancii, brigantii, brigantini, brigantes as the name of ‘une maniere de gens d’armes courant et apert, à pié.’]
† 1. A light-armed, irregular foot-soldier. Obs.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2096. Thane bowmene of Bretayne … Bekerde with bregaundez of ferre in tha laundez.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 312. The brigauntis of the Frenssh side took the Kyngis cariage.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xlvii. 66. The duke … entred into Heynalt … and iiii. c. speares, besyde the brigantes, came before Quesnoy.
1557. Paynel, Barclay’s Jugurth, 104. More lyke a skyrmishe amonge brygandes and rouers, then to any appointed or ordered batayle.
1795. Southey, Joan of Arc, X. 250. Archers of unequalled skill, Brigans and pikemen.
2. One who lives by pillage and robbery: a free-booter, bandit; especially a member of one of the gangs of desperadoes infesting the mountainous districts of Italy, Spain, Turkey, etc.
1421. Sir H. Luttrell, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 27, I. 85. Ther ys no steryng of none evyl doers, saf byonde the rivere of Sayne … of certains brigaunts.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, iv. 125. We have slayne soo many theves and brygauntes that I canne not number theym.
1570–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), I. 392. It was taken from him by certain Brigants and robbers.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Brigand, a Footman armed … In old time when those kind of Soulders marched, they held all to be good prize, that they could purloin from the people, and thereupon this word now signifies also a Theef, purse-taker, or High-way robber.
1792. A. Young, Trav. France, 154. Those troops of brigands, reported to be formidable.
1841. W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., III. 257. The Neapolitan brigands.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., V. xxii. 29. Such names as brigands and murderers are not uncommonly used by established governments to describe those who are in revolt against their authority.
3. attrib.
1522. World & Child, in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 251. Brigand harness I have beaten to back and to bones.
1816. J. Scott, Vis. Paris (ed. 4), Pref. 19. The wild brigand spirit.
1859. [J. D. Burn], Autobiog. Beggar Boy, 128. He wore a sailor’s dress, with a sort of brigand hat.
