Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense soldiers, present participle soldiering, past tense, past participle soldiered
countable noun
A soldier is a person who works in an army, especially a person who is not an officer.
Synonyms: fighter, serviceman or servicewoman, trooper, warrior More Synonyms of soldier
Phrasal verbs:
See soldier on
soldier in British English
(ˈsəʊldʒə)
noun
1.
a.
a person who serves or has served in an army
b. 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
a.
an individual in a colony of social insects, esp ants, that has powerful jaws adapted for defending the colony, crushing large food particles, etc
b.
(as modifier)
soldier ant
5. informal
a strip of bread or toast that is dipped into a soft-boiled egg
verb(intransitive)
6.
to serve as a soldier
7. obsolete, slang
to malinger or shirk
Word origin
C13: from Old French soudier, from soude (army) pay, from Late Latin solidus a gold coin, from Latin: firm
soldier in American English
(ˈsoʊldʒər)
noun
1.
a person serving in an army; member of an army
2.
a.
an enlisted person, as distinguished from one holding a warrant or commission
b.
any low-ranking member of a Mafia family
3.
one who has much military experience or military skill
4.
a person who works zealously for a specified cause
5.
an ant or termite of a caste having an enlarged head and jaws and serving as fighters in defense of the colony
verb intransitive
6.
to serve as a soldier
7.
to proceed stubbornly or doggedly
usually with on
8.
to shirk one's duty, as by making a pretense of working, feigning illness, etc.
Word origin
ME soldiour < OFr soldier < solde, coin, pay < LL solidus: see solidus
COBUILD Collocations
soldier
brave soldier
capture a soldier
child soldier
deploy soldiers
enemy soldier
fellow soldier
female soldier
former soldier
loyal soldier
recruit soldiers
regime soldiers
regular soldier
send soldiers
serving soldier
soldiers are wounded
train soldiers
wounded soldier
Examples of 'soldier' in a sentence
soldier
You can make soldiers out of toast.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Works harder than a soldier ant and has cast off a difficult season.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
YOU'D need an army of soldiers to go with this enormous egg.
The Sun (2010)
The heroism and suffering of the common soldiers who served under him moved him deeply.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
These can be fried and served as soldiers with boiled eggs.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Soldier ants have invaded my armpits and groin.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Employers should snap up officers and soldiers as they have exactly the right skills that businesses need.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It is the first time the soldiers will have been interviewed formally by police as part of a murder investigation.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
She had heard a great many desirable things of the young soldier from the lady who had recommended her school to him.
Frances Hodgson Burnett A Little Princess (1905)
The density of soldiers in the British zone is higher than at any stage in the war.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
One American soldier was killed and others injured.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Alternatively, dunk toasted soldiers directly into the pan and scoop.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He offered the two writers cameo roles as German soldiers.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
She invites the young British soldiers instead.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
British soldiers have been dispatched to Gabon to train wildlife rangers to fight fire with fire.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I would be pleased to hear from any soldier or family members with their experiences.
The Sun (2012)
The American soldiers then arrested eight innocent people and refused to let anyone in or out for almost eight hours.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The soldiers are members of an army rugby squad touring the US.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Quotations
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' `Tommy, go away'; But it's `Thank you, Mister Atkins,' when the band begins to playRudyard KiplingTommy
In other languages
soldier
British English: soldier /ˈsəʊldʒə/ NOUN
A soldier is a person who works in an army.
American English: soldier
Arabic: جُنْدِيّ
Brazilian Portuguese: soldado
Chinese: 士兵
Croatian: vojnik
Czech: voják
Danish: soldat
Dutch: soldaat
European Spanish: soldado
Finnish: sotilas
French: soldat
German: Soldat
Greek: στρατιώτης
Italian: soldato
Japanese: 兵士
Korean: 군인
Norwegian: soldat
Polish: żołnierz
European Portuguese: soldado
Romanian: soldat
Russian: солдат
Latin American Spanish: soldado
Swedish: soldat
Thai: ทหาร
Turkish: asker
Ukrainian: солдат
Vietnamese: người lính
All related terms of 'soldier'
old soldier
a former soldier or veteran
soldier ant
a type of ant that has a disproportionately large head
soldier fly
any of several flies of the family Stratiomyidae, characterized by brightly colored abdominal stripes
soldier on
If you soldier on at something, you continue to do it although it is difficult or unpleasant .
tin soldier
a miniature toy soldier, usually made of lead
toy soldier
a miniature nonfunctioning replica of a soldier, esp one that children play with
brave soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army , especially a person who is not an officer.
child soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army , especially a person who is not an officer.
dead soldier
an empty beer or spirit bottle
enemy soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army , especially a person who is not an officer.
foot soldier
The foot soldiers of a particular organization are people who seem unimportant and who do not have a high position but who do a large amount of very important and often very boring work.
loyal soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army, especially a person who is not an officer.
soldier bird
a honey-eater , Manorina melanocephala , of eastern Australia, having a grey-white plumage and brown wings and noted for its raucous cries
soldier crab
a small blue Australian estuarine crab of the Mictyris genus usually found in large numbers
wagon soldier
a soldier belonging to the field artillery
water soldier
an aquatic plant, Stratiotes aloides, of Europe and NW Asia , having rosettes of large leaves and large three-petalled white flowers: family Hydrocharitaceae
common soldier
a noncommissioned member of an army as opposed to a commissioned officer
fellow soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army, especially a person who is not an officer.
female soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army , especially a person who is not an officer.
former soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army, especially a person who is not an officer.
gallant soldier
a South American plant, Galinsoga parviflora, widely distributed as a weed , having small daisy-like flowers surrounded by silvery scales : family Asteraceae ( composites )
private soldier
A private soldier is a soldier of the lowest rank in an army or the marines .
regular soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army , especially a person who is not an officer.
serving soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army, especially a person who is not an officer.
soldier beetle
a yellowish-red cantharid beetle , Rhagonycha fulva, having a somewhat elongated body
soldier orchid
a European orchid , Orchis militaris, having pale purple flowers with a four-lobed lower lip
Unknown Soldier
(in various countries) an unidentified soldier who has died in battle and for whom a tomb is established as a memorial to other unidentified dead of the nation's armed forces
wounded soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army , especially a person who is not an officer.
chocolate soldier
a person who mistakenly believes that he or she is very powerful , important, or impressive
returned soldier
a soldier who has served abroad
soldier settlement
the allocation of Crown land for farming to ex-servicemen
capture a soldier
A soldier is a person who works in an army , especially a person who is not an officer.
soldier of fortune
a person who seeks money or adventure as a soldier ; mercenary
Soldier's Medal
a U.S. Army decoration awarded for deeds of heroism outside of combat
military orchid
a European orchid , Orchis militaris, having pale purple flowers with a four-lobed lower lip
Chinese translation of 'soldier'
soldier
(ˈsəuldʒəʳ)
n(c)
士兵 (shìbīng) (位, wèi)
(noun)
Definition
a person who serves or has served in an army
an attack on an off-duty soldier
Synonyms
fighter
The Spartans were the best fighters in Ancient Greece.
serviceman
trooper
warrior
the 13th century warrior, Genghis Khan
Tommy (British, informal)
GI (US, informal)
military man
redcoat
enlisted man (US)
man-at-arms
squaddie or squaddy (British, slang)
phrasal verb
See soldier on
Quotation
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' `Tommy, go away'; But it's `Thank you, Mister Atkins,' when the band begins to play [Rudyard Kipling – Tommy]