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soldier

1. One who is engaged in military service as an officer or a private; one who serves in an army; one of an organised body of combatants. I am a soldier and unapt to weep. (Shak)

2. Especially, a private in military service, as distinguished from an officer. It were meet that any one, before he came to be a captain, should have been a soldier. (Spenser)

3. A brave warrior; a man of military experience and skill, or a man of distinguished valor; used by way of emphasis or distinction.

4. (Science: zoology) The red or cuckoo gurnard (Trigla pini)

5. (Science: zoology) One of the asexual polymorphic forms of white ants, or termites, in which the head and jaws are very large and strong. The soldiers serve to defend the nest. See Termite. Soldier beetle, a large geometrid moth (Euschema militaris), having the wings bright yellow with bluish black lines and spots.

(Science: botany) Soldier orchis, a kind of orchis (Orchis militaris).

Origin: OE. Souldier, soudiour, souder, OF. Soldier, soldoier, soldeier, sodoier, soudoier, soudier, fr. L. Solidus a piece of money (hence applied to the pay of a soldier), fr. Solidus solid. See Solid, and cf. Sold.