Grognard means "grumbler" in French and is derived from from the French words "grogner" (1. snarl 2. grunt 3. growl 4. grumble [râler] 5. gripe [râler]) and "grognon" (1. grouch 2. curmudgeon). Historically speaking, it was Napoleon Bonaparte's name for old veteran soldiers, specifically the Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard (Grenadiers à Pied de la Garde Impériale). Today, while it may still be used with that meaning, it has developed several other meanings, closely related to one another, within various types of gaming.
- slang for someone who enjoys playing board wargames. This use is supposed to have been coined by John Young in the early 1970s while employed by Simulations Publications, Inc. Originally this term referred to the "old guard" of gamers who were playing tactical board games prior to 1969.
- Inside the computer game development industry, the term grognard is used to name fans who will buy every game released in a certain genre of game (RTS, RPG, etc.). These dedicated game players are often viewed as a blessing and a curse, as they will ensure a certain minimum level in sales, but they will also be the most critical of any mistakes or bugs in the game.
- In the board game, role-playing game, miniature wargaming and computer game genres, a grognard is an ultra-hardcore gamer, seeking reality and assembling detailed tables of probabilities and statistics.
- The term "grognard capture" extends from this idea of the ultra-hardcore gamer to the consideration of how such gamers' expectations regarding the nature of a game, sequel, or new edition in any of the above genres must be balanced against the difficulties that this may cause new players unfamiliar with the genre, game, or player culture; grognard capture occurs when balance is not met and the new work begins excluding the possibility of new players. This phrase was coined and later popularized by Greg Costikyan [1].