/ber'seuhl yair"ee/ ; It. /berdd'sah lye"rdde/ , n. , pl. bersaglieri /-seuhl yair"ee/ ; It. /-sah lye"rddee/ .
one of a class of riflemen or sharpshooters in the Italian army.
[ 1860-65; bersagl ( io ) target ( bersail; bers ( er ) to hunt (perh. birsen, G birschen, pirschen to hunt) + -ail n. suffix) + -iere -ARY ]