— avant-gardist , n.
/euh vahnt'gahrd", euh vant'-, av'ahnt-, ah'vahnt-/ ; Fr. /ann vahonn gannrddd"/ , n.
1. the advance group in any field, esp. in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.
adj.
2. of or pertaining to the experimental treatment of artistic, musical, or literary material.
3. belonging to the avant-garde: an avant-garde composer.
4. unorthodox or daring; radical.
[ 1475-85; in sense "vanguard"; ]