camp follower
1 : a civilian (such as a prostitute) who follows a military unit to attend or exploit military personnel
2 : a disciple or follower who is not of the main body of members or adherents
especially : a politician who joins the party or movement solely for personal gain
Recent Examples on the Web
//There’s the near-noirish play between dark and light captured by Tripe in an Indian temple or the Yvonne De Carlo expression (speaking of almost noirish) on the face of a camp follower in a Fenton Crimean War photograph.
—
Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "At Yale: on the threshold and under the volcano," 6 July 2018
//Her mother, Sophie Delaborde, the daughter of a bird seller on the Rue de Rivoli, was a camp follower of the Napoleonic troops in Madrid.
—
Benita Eisler, WSJ, "‘George Sand’ Review: Monstre Sacré," 8 June 2018
//The trio of revisionist powers includes Russia, China and Iran, along with camp followers like Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea and Syria.
—
Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, "Toothless Gestures Won’t Stop Putin," 19 Mar. 2018
First Known Use of camp follower
1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries near camp follower