Added 9 October 2026
soldier
/ˈsəʊld͡ʒə/ noun
In Latin: mīles, bellator Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about soldier at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A member of a ground-based army, of any rank, but especially an enlisted member.
My friends and I saw a soldier questioning a man holding a bag with a gun in his pocket.
- Any member of a military, regardless of specialty.
-
An enlisted member of a military service, as distinguished from a commissioned officer.
She saw a soldier while collecting her baggage at the airport.
verb
- To continue steadfast; to keep striving.
- To serve as a soldier.
- To intentionally restrict labor productivity; to work at the slowest rate that goes unpunished.
Origin
Inherited from Middle English soudeour, from Old French soudier or soudeour (“mercenary”), from Medieval Latin soldarius (“soldier (one having pay)”), from Late Latin solidus, a type of coin. Displaced Old English cempa (whence obsolete kemp). (red herring): An allusion to soldiers' red uniforms; red herring is, reciprocally, a slang term for "soldier".
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)