masses of people regarded as
raw material for the achievement of a
given end. This
phrase originated in the
late 1800s and meant the soldiers, especially
infantrymen, who ran the greatest
risk of being wounded or killed in warfare.
n. those soldiers, especially young and
relatively untrained
infantry soldiers, who are the most
subject to being wounded or killed by artillery
fire and are considered unimportant; men regarded merely as material to be consumed in
war. This expression is a comparison of the cannons used in
war to hungry farm animals which are fed
coarse food called
fodder (composed of dried hay, cornstalks with their leaves, etc.). The
phrase can also be used figuratively to mean human beings regarded as readily available for the achievement of a specific end.