Vanguard

n. troops in the forefront of the battle; leading position in an movement, those who are on the cutting edge of a trend

Vanguard might refer to:MilitaryVanguard, the forward elements of a military tactical formation advancing, or prepared to advanceHMS Vanguard, any of several Royal Navy shipsVanguard class submarine of the Royal NavyUSNS Vanguard (T-AGM-19), the lead ship in a US Navy class
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Noun
1. the leading units moving at the head of an army
(synonym) van
(hypernym) army unit
2. any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
(synonym) avant-garde, van, new wave
(hypernym) artistic movement, art movement
3. the position of greatest advancement; the leading position in any movement or field
(synonym) forefront, cutting edge
(hypernym) position, view, perspective

(n.)
The troops who march in front of an army; the advance guard; the van.
  

See avant-guard .