cavalry; cavalryman; trooper
Refers to mounted soldiers or the military unit as a whole. In modern contexts, often historical or used in military terminology.
A hundred cavalrymen headed toward the castle.
Cavalry played an important role in medieval battles.
He went to the battlefield as a cavalryman.
At dawn, the cavalry charged into the enemy lines.
The general personally led the cavalry into battle.
Both 砲兵 and 騎兵 end in 兵 and name military branches, but 砲兵 is artillery while 騎兵 is cavalry.
騎兵 (mounted soldiers) are traditionally counted with 騎, the counter specifically for horsemen.
騎兵 can also be counted with the general counter 人 when referring to them simply as people rather than mounted soldiers.
cavalry; cavalry unit
lancer
dragoon
light cavalry
heavy cavalry
outpost cavalry
Compound of 騎 (ki, 'riding' or 'horseback') and 兵 (hei, 'soldier'). The kanji directly convey the meaning of mounted soldier.