100 words that define World War I

Below is a complete listing of our selection of 100 words that define World War I. You can also browse and find out more about these words in our interactive timeline.

Names for the war

• first world war
• Great War
• Kaiser’s war (also Kaiser Bill’s war)
• war to end all wars

Military strategy & terminology

• attrition
• camouflage
• flamethrower
• gas mask
• machine-gun v.
• Mills bomb
• mustard gas
• mystery ship
• Schlieffen Plan
• storm troop / storm trooper
• tank
• trenchoscope or trenchperiscope
• trench warfare
• U-boat
• WAAC
• zero hour

Aerial warfare

• ace
• ack-ack
• anti-aircraft
• Archie/Archibald
• blimp n./1
• flechette
• recco
• spike-bozzle
• strafe
• strategic bombing
• tactical bombing
• tailspin
• Zeppelining

Military slang

• ashcan
• Big Bertha
• Minnie n./2
• Mournful Mary
• over the top
• packet
• pongo
• shrapnel
• tin hat
• Tommy
• whizz-bang
• zeppelins in a cloud
• zigzag

Soldiers speaking French

• Alleyman
• beaucoup
• Boche
• napoo
• no bon
• toot sweet
• Wipers

The international war

• Aussie
• Blighty
• choom n./2
• cushy
• doughboy
• Gallipoli
• Kiwi
• Sammy

Life in the trenches

• cootie
• Flanders mud
• Maconochie
• marraine
• shellshock
• trench boot
• trench coat
• trench fever
• trench foot

Domestic & civilian life

• air raid
• conchie
• conscription
• demob
• DORA
• home front
• liberty cabbage
• over there
• propaganda film
• ration n. 3d
• war effort
• white feather

Political history

• the Allies (ally n. 2c)
• Black Hand
• jusqu’auboutiste
• League of Nations
• reparation
• triple alliance
• triple entente
• Versailles

The war of remembrance

• Anzac Day
• Armistice Day
• cenotaph
• lost generation
• poppy
• Remembrance day
• silence
• supreme sacrifice
• unknown soldier /unknown warrior
• war grave