janissary
Americannoun
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(often initial capital letter) a member of an elite military unit of the Turkish army organized in the 14th century and abolished in 1826 after it revolted against the Sultan.
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(often initial capital letter) any soldier in the Turkish army.
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a member of any group of loyal guards, soldiers, or supporters.
noun
Etymology
Origin of janissary
1520–30; < French janissaire < Italian gian ( n ) izzero < Turkish yeniçeri, equivalent to yeni new + çeri soldiery, militia
Explanation
A janissary is a devoted follower or steadfast ally. The people chanting supportively and waving signs at political rallies are usually the candidate's janissaries. Today's janissary is a hardcore supporter, someone whose priorities and opinions align with a particular person or group. The original meaning of the word, also spelled janizary or janisary, was "elite Turkish soldier," from a root that means "new troops." The earliest janissaries, in the 13th century, were mostly composed of war prisoners or slaves — rather than being devoted to a cause, they were forced to support it.
Vocabulary lists containing janissary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, the older janissary corps resisted his efforts.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012
Bork became a self-proclaimed "janissary" to Director, a loyal soldier who became a fellow in Chicago's "law and economics" program, a bastion of probusiness research.
From Time Magazine Archive
To him, Hunt was the janissary of a dead vernacular.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
My father asserted that he was the bravest janissary in the sultan’s employ, and had greatly distinguished himself.
From The Pacha of Many Tales by Marryat, Frederick
In less than a quarter of an hour we met the janissary whom Sir Moses had sent to the Governor of Jerusalem.
From Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Volume I Comprising Their Life and Work as Recorded in Their Diaries From 1812 to 1883 by Loewe, Louis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
