franc-tireur definitions WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005) n 1: a sharpshooter ... the French army) Merriam Webster's noun Etymology: French, from franc free + tireur shooter Date: 1808 a civilian and especially a guerrilla fighter or sniper Webster's 1913 Dictionary Franc-tireur Franc"-ti`reur", n. [F., fr. franc free + tireur ...