condottiere
a leader of a private band of mercenary soldiers in Italy, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries.
any mercenary; soldier of fortune.
Origin of condottiere
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use condottiere in a sentence
There were even guilds of mercenaries, such as the Condottieri of Italy; and the Swiss were famous for their superior service.
Violence and the Labor Movement | Robert HunterThese were mainly the bands of Greek condottieri, and even for their home-born troops Greek officers of renown were often engaged.
It was at that time the fashion for young noblemen to win fame for themselves by the life or trade of the condottieri.
The Story of Perugia | Margaret SymondsThe condottieri played a very important part in Italian history from the middle of the 13th to the middle of the 15th century.
The soldiers of the condottieri were almost entirely heavy armoured cavalry (men-at-arms).
British Dictionary definitions for condottiere
/ (ˌkɒndɒˈtjɛərɪ) /
a commander or soldier in a professional mercenary company in Europe from the 13th to the 16th centuries
Origin of condottiere
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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