rifleman

thumb|225px|A member of the French Army's , armed with a [[flintlock, ]] Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French word – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in contrasting ways in different countries and at different times, including soldiers guarding artillery, various elite units, ordinary line infantry and other uses.

== Derivation of the word == The word fusil, which was the name of the type of musket carried by a fusilier, is itself derived from the Old French and Latin , meaning a piece of flint.