# cantonist

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A young boy in the Russian Empire who was taken to a special school to be trained for future compulsory military service.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Russian кантонист (kantonist).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cantonist