1.
troops and horses; military forces; military matters
A literary term referring to soldiers and their horses, used to represent military power or warfare in general. Appears in historical texts, literary works, and formal writing.
A classical compound of 兵 (soldiers) and 馬 (horses), representing military power by synecdoche. In pre-modern warfare, cavalry and infantry were the two pillars of an army, so the pairing evokes the full scope of a military force.
Common collocations
- 兵馬の権: military authority
- 兵馬を動かす: mobilize forces
- 兵馬を整える: prepare military forces
- 兵馬俑: terracotta army (the famous Chinese burial figures)
Similar words
- 軍勢: military force; army (more concrete, refers to actual troops)
- 軍事: military affairs (modern, administrative term)
- 武力: military power; armed force (modern term for the concept of force)
Register
Primarily a literary and historical term. In modern Japanese, it appears mainly in historical writing, classical literature, and discussions of East Asian history. The compound 兵馬俑 (terracotta warriors) is perhaps its most widely known modern usage.