forlorn : Idioms & Phrases

Index

A forlorn hope

  • D. verloren hoop, prop., a lost band or troop; verloren, p.p. of verliezen to lose + hoop band; akin to E. heap. See For-, and Heap. (Mil.), a body of men (called in F. enfants perdus, in G. verloren posten) selected, usually from volunteers, to attempt a breach, scale the wall of a fortress, or perform other extraordinarily perilous service; also, a desperate case or enterprise.
Webster 1913

forlorn hope

  • noun a hopeless or desperate enterprise
WordNet