commando

Etymology

From Afrikaans kommando, from Portuguese comando (“command”), from Late Latin *commandare, from Latin commendare.

noun

1. A small fighting force specially trained for making quick destructive raids against enemy-held areas.
   The most important objective was at Batna itself, where a group of three commandos each comprising ten men was to attack Deleplanque's sub-prefecture …. 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York: Review Books, published 2006, page 89
2. A commando trooper.
   Ben Grant, 30, who spent more than five years as a commando in the Royal Marines, is part of group of seven ex-servicemen who arrived in Ukraine over the weekend to fight invading Russian forces. 2022-03-08, “Tory MP’s son among UK ex-servicemen heading to Ukrainian front line”, in the Guardian
3. (historical) An organized force of Boer troops in South Africa; a raid by such troops.