fugleman

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2009 is: fugleman • \FYOO-gul-mun\  • noun : one at the head or forefront of a group or movement Examples: Yemelyan Pugachov emerged in 18th-century Russia as fugleman of a mass rebellion among his fellow Cossacks, serfs, factory workers, and religious dissidents. Did you know? A fugleman (adapted from the German "Flügelmann," literally "wing man" but commonly meaning "file leader") was originally a soldier posted in front of a line of soldiers to serve as a model in their drill exercises. Today, with its more figurative meaning, the word is often used pejoratively as a synonym of "mouthpiece" or "ringleader." "Fugleman" is by no means a common word, but it does appear in the occasional newspaper article. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.