Flank

Flank ('the side'), a word used in many senses in military matters. Flanks of an army are the wings, or bodies of men on the right and left extremities. Flank files are the soldiers marching on the extreme right and left of a company or any other body of troops. Flank company is the company on the right or left when a battalion is in line. Flanking parties, or flankers, are cavalry or infantry marching some distance from the sides of the main column to prevent a sudden attack upon them.—Flank, as applied in Fortification, will be best described under that article. Generally it is any part of the works from which fire sweeps, or flanks, the front of any other part. The flanks of a frontier are certain salient points on it, strong by nature and art, between which an enemy dare not penetrate, at the risk of their garrisons attacking his rear, and cutting off communication between him and his base.—In manoeuvring, 'to flank' is either to protect the flanks of one's own army by detached bodies of troops, or field-works, or to threaten those of the enemy by directing troops against them. To outflank is to succeed by manoeuvres in overlapping the flank of an enemy who has been, on his part, endeavouring to flank one's own force.