rearguard
nounUK /ˈrɪəɡɑːd/
US /ˈrɪrɡɑːrd/
The rearguard is the group of soldiers who protect the back of an army.
The rearguard held off the enemy while the main army retreated.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A defensive or conservative group within an organization that resists change.
The old committee acted as a rearguard against new ideas.
3. The last or trailing part of a moving group or procession.
The rearguard of the parade was made up of marching bands.
4. A final defensive effort to protect something from being lost.
They fought a rearguard action to save the local library.