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单词 mercenary
释义 mer·ce·nary
I. \ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌerē, -ri\ noun
(-es)
Etymology: Middle English mercenarie, from Latin mercenarius, mercennarius, adjective & noun, from merced-, merces wages, reward + -arius -ary — more at mercy
1. : one that serves merely for wages : hireling
 < half a dozen such mercenaries judiciously placed … may turn a cold audience into an enthusiastic one — A.T.Weaver >
2. : a person paid for his work; especially : a soldier hired into foreign service
 < the kingdom was now supported … largely by foreign mercenaries and a made-to-order navy — A.L.Kroeber >
II. adjective
Etymology: Latin mercenarius, mercennarius
1.
 a. : serving merely for pay or gain : seeking sordid advantage : venal
  < abandoned their high standards and disinterested motives in favor of a mercenary concern over fees — W.T. & Barbara Fitts >
  < so thoroughly mercenary, so frankly greedy, that there's nothing disagreeable about it — Dashiell Hammett >
 b. : showing conspicuous lust for money : based on or marked by greed
  < if a writer's attitude toward his characters and his scene is … as mercenary as an auctioneer's, vulgar and meretricious will his product for ever remain — Willa Cather >
2.
 a. : employed or engaged primarily on a wage basis — now used only of a soldier serving in the army of a country other than his own
 b. obsolete : paid, salaried : commercial — used of an office or enterprise
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更新时间:2024/12/23 21:09:09