redshirt

noun

1. (historical)A supporter of the Italian nationalist leader Giuseppe Garibaldi, especially a member of his thousand-man army which conquered Sicily.

   “Loyal regiments from Naples and other provinces of the mainland fought valiantly and were victorious un several skirmishes against the redshirts near Capua.”

2. (historical)A revolutionary or anarchist.
3. (US)A college athlete who spends a year not participating in official athletic activities, but does not lose his or her eligibility to participate in following years.
4. (slang)An unimportant character introduced only to be killed in order to underscore the peril to the important characters; an expendable character.

   “Sensing danger, Captain Kirk decided to beam down to the surface with Spock, McCoy, and a couple of redshirts.”

   “I am not a goddamn redshirt! I have a purpose!”

5. (US)A person responsible for loading and unloading weapons, artillery, and equipment from aircraft.
6. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of Red Shirt (“member of the UDD”).

   “As armoured personnel carriers rumbled on to Bangkok's deserted streets, thousands of troops fanned out in a cordon across the city, surrounding the redshirts' fortified protest camp.”

7. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of Red Shirt.

   “Like the leaders they opposed, they had participated in the "Redshirt" campaign of 1876 and 1877 that redeemed the state for home rule and founded the new establishment.”

   “Families and supporters of the Redshirt protesters in Thailand handed in a letter to the London embassy yesterday calling for an end to the killings and suppression of pro-democracy campaigners.”

   “In this process, known as the Risorgimento, Garibaldi led his Redshirt followers to decisive victories over the Spanish Bourbon and Austrian Habsburg dynasties that still ruled much of Italy.”

verb

1. (US)To place an athlete in a status wherein the athlete will spend a year not participating in official athletic activities, but will not lose his or her eligibility to participate in following years.

   “The university decided to redshirt the freshman linebacker to give him an extra year to build up his bulk.”

   “Being asked whether I was going to be redshirted had some status associated with it.”

2. (US)To take on a status wherein one will spend a year not participating in official athletic activities.

   “Hillman, who had come to Indiana without a scholarship (he now had one) from a Los Angeles suburb, wanted to redshirt so that he would have two years of eligibility left after Alford graduated. Smith didn't want to redshirt, he wanted to play.”

3. (US)To hold a child out of kindergarten for one year in the hope that the child will do better academically and socially.

   “1985, March 1, "Some Educators Oppose Redshirting 5-Year-Olds," The Omaha World-Herald Parents who redshirt their 5-year-olds instead of enrolling them in kindergarten are a concern to some Nebraska educators who are trying to reverse the trend of holding children back until age 6 to start school.”