Editing Cannon fodder (section)

{{Short description|Derogatory term for combatants regarded as expendable}}
{{other uses}}'''Cannon fodder''' is an informal, derogatory term for [[combatant]]s who are regarded or treated by government or military command as [[wiktionary:expendable|expendable]] in the face of enemy fire. The term is generally used in situations where combatants are forced to fight against hopeless odds (with the foreknowledge that they will suffer extremely high casualties) in an effort to achieve a strategic goal; an example is the [[trench warfare]] of [[World War I]]. The term may also be used (somewhat pejoratively) to differentiate [[infantry]] from other forces (such as artillery troops, air force or the navy), or to distinguish expendable low-grade or inexperienced combatants from more militarily valuable veterans.

The term derives from [[fodder]], as food for [[livestock]]. Soldiers are the metaphorical food for enemy [[cannon]] fire.<ref>See, ''e.g.'', {{cite web|url=http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/cannon%20fodder|title=American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|website=education.yahoo.com|publisher=[[Yahoo! Search]]|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606134638/http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/cannon%20fodder|archivedate=2011-06-06}}</ref>