Lance n.
 1. A weapon of war, consisting of a long shaft or handle and a steel blade or head; a spear carried by horsemen, and often decorated with a small flag; also, a spear or harpoon used by whalers and fishermen.
    A braver soldier never couched lance.   --Shak.
 2. A soldier armed with a lance; a lancer.
 3. Founding A small iron rod which suspends the core of the mold in casting a shell.
 4. Mil. An instrument which conveys the charge of a piece of ordnance and forces it home.
 5. Pyrotech. One of the small paper cases filled with combustible composition, which mark the outlines of a figure.
 Free lance, in the Middle Ages, and subsequently, a knight or roving soldier, who was free to engage for any state or commander that purchased his services; hence, a person who assails institutions or opinions on his own responsibility without regard to party lines or deference to authority.  See also freelance, n. and a., and freelancer.
 Lance bucket Cavalry, a socket attached to a saddle or stirrup strap, in which to rest the but of a lance.
 Lance corporal, same as Lancepesade.
 Lance knight, a lansquenet. --B. Jonson.
 Lance snake Zool., the fer-de-lance.
 Stink-fire lance Mil., a kind of fuse filled with a composition which burns with a suffocating odor; -- used in the counter operations of miners.
 To break a lance, to engage in a tilt or contest.


 Lance·pe·sade n.  An assistant to a corporal; a private performing the duties of a corporal; -- called also lance corporal. [Obsolete]

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 Cor·po·ral n.  Mil. A noncommissioned officer, next below a sergeant. In the United States army he is the lowest noncommissioned officer in a company of infantry. He places and relieves sentinels.
 Corporal's guard, a detachment such as would be in charge of a corporal for guard duty, etc.; hence, derisively, a very small number of persons.
 Lance corporal, an assistant corporal on private's pay. --Farrow.
 Ship's corporal Naut., a petty officer who assists the master at arms in his various duties.


 lance corporal
      n : an enlisted man in the marine corps ranking above a private
          first class and below a corporal