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

She’s always seeking her father, not just in Skinner the soldier but in herself too, the remnants of his presence thrumming through her memory.

From Los Angeles Times

Most of the soldiers were sent home in August, although 300 remain in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

As a child during World War II he grew up with air raids, bomb shelters and death reports about young soldiers from his region.

From Los Angeles Times

Around midnight on April 18, 1775, Revere was ordered to ride to Lexington, Mass., and warn the townspeople that British soldiers, who were quartered in Boston, were ready to head their way.

From Salon

For the time being, like Italy and other coalition members, Berlin has ruled out sending soldiers to Ukraine to police any future peace on the ground.

From BBC

Related Words

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