reservist

Everyday

1. A person who has a normal job but has trained as a soldier, sailor or airman and can be called up to serve in the armed forces when needed. tree →
2. A member of a reserve force. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, reservists work as teachers, builders or nurses, then train some weekends; in an emergency they may be called up. In the news and history lessons, reservists are called up in wartime or after floods and disasters. Phrases: army reservist, call up reservists, a reservist soldier.

Examples

• My aunt is a nurse and an army reservist. tree →
• The government called up thousands of reservists. tree →
• Reservists train on some weekends and in the summer. tree →
• Ukraine called up reservists to defend the country. tree →
• The reservists helped with sandbags during the floods. tree →
• Dad became a navy reservist after leaving the full-time navy. tree →

Note

Countable: a reservist, reservists. From "reserve" (kept ready for later). In the UK the Army Reserve used to be called the Territorial Army.