soldier

[sohl-jer]

noun

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

2. an enlisted person, as distinguished from a commissioned officer.

   the soldiers' mess and the officers' mess.

3. a person of military skill or experience.

   George Washington was a great soldier.

4. a person who contends or serves in any cause.

   a soldier of the Lord.

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

6. Entomology.

   1. a member of a caste of sexually underdeveloped female ants or termites specialized, as with powerful jaws, to defend the colony from invaders.

   2. a similar member of a caste of worker bees, specialized to protect the hive.

7. a brick laid vertically with the narrower long face out.

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

verb (used without object)

1. to act or serve as a soldier.

2. Informal.,  to loaf while pretending to work; malinger.

   He was soldiering on the job.

verb phrase

1. soldier on,  to persist steadfastly in one's work; persevere.

   to soldier on until the work is done.

soldier

/ ˈsəʊldʒə /

noun

1. 1. a person who serves or has served in an army

   2. Also called: common soldier. a noncommissioned member of an army as opposed to a commissioned officer

2. a person who works diligently for a cause

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

4. zoology

   1. an individual in a colony of social insects, esp ants, that has powerful jaws adapted for defending the colony, crushing large food particles, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      soldier ant

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

verb

1. to serve as a soldier

2. obsolete,  to malinger or shirk

Other Word Forms

• soldiership noun
• nonsoldier noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of soldier¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English souldiour, from Old French soudier, so(i)dier, equivalent to soulde “pay” (from Latin solidus; sol ² ) + -ier -ier ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of soldier¹

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

Example Sentences

The name, Cartel of the Suns, derives from the sun insignia found on the uniforms of Venezuelan soldiers, much like stars on U.S. military uniforms.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

All I ever wanted was join the Army, be a soldier.

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The fighters that once had daily run-and-gun battles with Israeli soldiers?

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But one soldier with the call sign Snake told us "it's time to agree at least on something".

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Talks between the government and veterans' organisations will take place as the bill progresses, but Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "confident" the bill will not lead to vexatious prosecutions of former soldiers.

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Related Words

• commando 
• fighter 
• guard 
• guerrilla 
• marine 
• mercenary 
• officer 
• paratrooper 
• pilot 
• trooper 
• veteran 
• volunteer