soldier

[ sohl-jer ]

/ ˈsoʊl dʒər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR soldier ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.

an enlisted man or woman, as distinguished from a commissioned officer: the soldiers' mess and the officers' mess.

a person of military skill or experience: George Washington was a great soldier.

a person who contends or serves in any cause: a soldier of the Lord.

Also called button man. Slang. a low-ranking member of a crime organization or syndicate.

Entomology.

a member of a caste of sexually underdeveloped female ants or termites specialized, as with powerful jaws, to defend the colony from invaders.
a similar member of a caste of worker bees, specialized to protect the hive.

a brick laid vertically with the narrower long face out.Compare rowlock(def 2).

Informal. a person who avoids work or pretends to work; loafer; malingerer.

verb (used without object)

to act or serve as a soldier.

Informal. to loaf while pretending to work; malinger: He was soldiering on the job.

Verb Phrases

soldier on, to persist steadfastly in one's work; persevere: to soldier on until the work is done.

Nearby words

sold out, sold-out, soldan, solder, soldering iron, soldier, soldier beetle, soldier bird, soldier crab, soldier fly, soldier of fortune

Origin of soldier

1250–1300; Middle English souldiour < Old French soudier, so(l)dier, equivalent to soulde pay (< Latin solidus; see sol²) + -ier -ier²

Related forms

sol·dier·ship, nounnon·sol·dier, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for soldier

A soldier in the service of ideals and aspirations that formed his core.
Mario Cuomo, Always Moving Us Toward the Light|Mike Barnicle|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The story of the soldier returning home to a country he no longer recognizes is a very old one.
A Veteran’s View: NYC Cold War Between Cops and City Hall|Matt Gallagher|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In their midst stands a soldier with the Lebanese armed forces in a red beret, sporting an assault rifle and an unblinking stare.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The families had gathered that Sunday to remember Ali Bazzal, a soldier whom the Nusra Front declared they had executed on Dec. 6.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Francis then supposedly told the officer that he was the one giving orders now and ordered a cappuccino for the Swiss soldier.
Is The Pope Unprotected Now That He’s Fired the Head of the Swiss Guards?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The soldier, drying his eyes and moustache with his little blue cotton handkerchief, remained motionless as the god Terminus.
The Wandering Jew, Complete|Eugene Sue
The Rebel soldier had stolen his coat, and he had no blanket to protect him from the cold night-winds.
Winning His Way|Charles Carleton Coffin
Again, this Confederate soldier was born and reared a gentleman, was so by instinct.
The Story of a Confederate boy in the Civil War|David E. Johnston
Not an officer or soldier but must recollect a case in point.
Red-Tape and Pigeon-Hole Generals|William H. Armstrong
A soldier introducing a woman to another man, who holds a scythe in his hand.
The Dance of Death|Francis Douce

British Dictionary definitions for soldier

soldier

/ (ˈsəʊldʒə) /

noun

a person who serves or has served in an army
Also called: common soldier a noncommissioned member of an army as opposed to a commissioned officer

a person who works diligently for a cause

a low-ranking member of the Mafia or other organized crime ring

zoology

an individual in a colony of social insects, esp ants, that has powerful jaws adapted for defending the colony, crushing large food particles, etc
(as modifier)soldier ant

informal a strip of bread or toast that is dipped into a soft-boiled egg

verb (intr)

to serve as a soldier

obsolete, slang to malinger or shirk

Word Origin for soldier

C13: from Old French soudier, from soude (army) pay, from Late Latin solidus a gold coin, from Latin: firm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

soldier

noun

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of soldier

Related forms

Examples from the Web for soldier

British Dictionary definitions for soldier

soldier

noun

verb (intr)

Word Origin for soldier