Maquis

/maˈkiː/ noun

Definition

Dense shrubby vegetation found in Mediterranean climates; also refers to the French resistance fighters in World War II.

Etymology

From French 'maquis' from Corsican/Italian. Originally meant the Mediterranean scrubland, then adopted to describe the French Resistance because they hid in wild terrain.

Kelly Says

The French Resistance fighters called themselves 'the Maquis' because they literally hid in thick Mediterranean scrubland—it's a poetic name that connects resistance to the wild landscape that protected them!

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