Also Sc. 5 vandgard, 6 vandgarde, -gaird; 6 wangard(e, -guard, -gaird, vangart, -gard(e, -gaird. [ad. OF. avangarde, var. of avantgarde: see VANTGUARD. Cf. It. and Sp. vanguardia, Pg. vanguarda.]
1. Mil. The foremost division of an army; the forefront or van.
The Scottish examples are placed first.
(a) 1487. Barbour’s Bruce, XI. 164. Till renownyt erllis twa … He gaf the vandgard in ledyng.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, XII. v. 210. Alsus … ruschis abak for feir … In the vangart [ed. 1553 vandgarde] throw mony a poyntit glave.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 224. This gude schir Loth the wangard led that da.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 270. The wandgaird was neir mearchant togither.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 313. He … obteynet the name and honour of Capitane of the kingis Vangaird.
(b) 1503. Lett. Rich. III. & Hen. VII. (Rolls), I. 208. The Souchyvars whiche [were] appoyncted to kepe my vanguarde avaunced tha[ym for]wardes without my knowlege.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, III. ii. 63. Let the Officer of the Vanguarde draw out three rankes of the armed pikes.
1622. F. Markham, Bk. War, IV. viii. 151. As soon as the head or Vanguard beginneth, that in the same time the Reare bee ready to follow.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Wars, 389. Villars, the Commander of the Van-Guard…, being circumvented, and taken by Fontains Army.
1693. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), III. 5. The landgraves vanguard pursued their rear.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., Every Army is compos’d of three Parts, a Van-guard, Rear-guard, and Main Body.
1780. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 2), V. 3423. Van Guard. See Advanced Guard.
1838. Lytton, Leila, IV. i. Winding along the steeps of the mountain were seen the gleaming spears and pennants of the Moslem vanguard.
1851. Longf., Gold. Leg., i. Castle of Vautsberg. As when the vanguard of the Roman legions First saw it from the top of yonder hill!
1875. Clery, Min. Tact., vi. (1877), 76. The advanced party, which may be conveniently termed the Vanguard, is composed of cavalry and infantry.
b. In fig. use.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., I. iii. At length … Germany and Weissnichtwo were where they should be, in the vanguard of the world.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., ii. 116. Palestine … was then the vanguard of the eastern, and therefore, of the civilised world.
1878. Maclear, Celts, i. 12. They were to form the vanguard in the Missionary history of Europe.
attrib. 1888. Century, XXXVI. 657. All day his vanguard spirit, flaming bright, Bore up the brunt of unavailing fight.
2. ellipt. The name of a variety of peach.
1786. Abercrombie, Arr., 14 in Gard. Assist. Peaches…. Vanguard.
1802. W. Forsyth, Fruit Trees, 28. To the foregoing may be added,… Smooth-leaved Royal George, Steward’s late Gallande, Vanguard.
1860. Hogg, Fruit Man., 147. Vanguard.—This is a variety of the Noblesse…. The only apparent difference is in the habit of the trees, which in Vanguard is much more robust and hardy than in the Noblesse.
