soldier

See also: Soldier

English

Alternative forms

soldior, soldiour, souldier, souldior, souldiour (all obsolete)

Etymology

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".

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) enPR: sōlʹjə(r), sŏlʹjə(r), IPA^(key): /ˈsəʊld͡ʒə/, /ˈsɒld͡ʒə/
- Audio (UK): (file)
(General American) enPR: sōlʹjər, IPA^(key): /ˈsoʊld͡ʒɚ/
- Audio (US): (file)
Rhymes: -əʊldʒə(ɹ), -ɒldʒə(ɹ)

Noun

soldier (plural soldiers)

A member of a ground-based army, of any rank, but especially an enlisted member.
- 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “[The Historie of Irelande […].] The Thirde Booke of the Historie of Ireland, Comprising the Raigne of Henry the Eyght: [...].”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Hunne, →OCLC, pages 77–78, column 2:
  The Citizens in their rage, imagining that euery poſt in the Churche had bin one of y^e Souldyers, ſhot habbe or nabbe at randon^{[sic – meaning random]} uppe to the Roode lofte, and to the Chancell, leauing ſome of theyr arrowes ſticking in the Images.
- 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
  I am a soldier and unapt to weep.
- 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
  Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.
- 2012 August 1, Owen Gibson, London 2012: rowers Glover and Stanning win Team GB's first gold medal‎^[1], Guardian Unlimited:
  Stanning, who was commissioned from Sandhurst in 2008 and has served in Afghanistan, is not the first soldier to bail out the organisers at these Games but will be among the most celebrated.
(by extension, nonstandard) Any member of a military, regardless of specialty.
An enlisted member of a military service, as distinguished from a commissioned officer.
- 1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:
  It were meet that any one, before he came to be a captain, should have been a soldier.
A guardsman.
A member of the Salvation Army.
A low-ranking gangster or member of a gang, especially the mafia, who engages in physical conflict.
(British, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) A piece of buttered bread (or toast), cut into a long thin strip for dipping into a soft-boiled egg.
- 2008, Nicholas Drayson, A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, page 180:
  Beside his egg was a plate of buttered toast, already cut up into soldiers.
A term of approbation for a young boy.
Someone who fights or toils well.
- 2004, Eminem, "Like Toy Soldiers", Encore, Shady Records
  [L]et 'em know how important it is to have Runyon Avenue soldiers up in our corners; their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is.
The red or cuckoo gurnard (Chelidonichthys cuculus).
One of the asexual polymorphic forms of termites, in which the head and jaws are very large and strong. The soldiers serve to defend the nest.
(slang, dated) A red herring (cured kipper with flesh turned red).
(xiangqi) A xiangqi piece that moves and captures by advancing one point. Once it has crossed the river, it may also move and capture one point horizontally.
A brick, for example in a course of brickwork, that is laid vertically on its shortest end (smallest face), so that its tallest and slimmest face faces the outside of the wall.

Synonyms

(member of an army): grunt, sweat, old sweat, Tommy

Derived terms

Translations

member of an army

Abkhaz: аруаҩ (arwajʷ)
Adyghe: сэлат (sɛlat), солдат (soldat)
Afrikaans: soldaat (af)
Aghwan: 𐕆𐔽𐔼𐔱𐕞𐕡𐕎𐔷𐔼 (hˁibüwnži)
Albanian: ushtar (sq) m
Amharic: ወታደር (am) m (wätadär)
Apache:
Western Apache: silaada
Arabic: جُنْدِيّ (ar) m (jundiyy), عَسْكَرِيّ m (ʕaskariyy)
Egyptian Arabic: جندي (gundi), عسكري (ʕaskari)

Juba Arabic: askeeri

North Levantine Arabic: عسكري (ʕaskari)

Moroccan Arabic: عسكري m (ʕaskri)

South Levantine Arabic: جندي (jundi), عسكري (ʕaskari)
Aragonese: soldau m
Armenian: զինվոր (hy) (zinvor)
Assamese: সৈনিক (xoinik)
Asturian: soldáu m
Azerbaijani: əsgər (az), çəri (archaic)
Baluchi: سپائی (sapáí, sipáí), سپاہی (sapáhí, sipáhí)
Bashkir: һалдат (haldat)
Basque: soldadu
Belarusian: салда́т m (saldát), во́ін m (vóin), жаўне́р m (žaŭnjér), жаўнёр m (žaŭnjór) (dated), вае́нны m (vajénny)
Bengali: সৈনিক (bn) (śōinik), লস্কর (bn) (loskor), সিপাহী (bn) (sipahī), সেনানী (bn) (senanī)
Bhojpuri: फौजी (phaujī)
Breton: soudard (br) m
Brunei Malay: asgar
Bulgarian: войни́к (bg) m (vojník), во́ин (bg) m (vóin), солда́т (bg) m (soldát), аске́р (bg) m (askér)
Burmese: စစ်သား (cacsa:), သူရဲ (my) (surai:)
Carpathian Rusyn: воя́к m (voják)
Catalan: soldat (ca), militar (ca) m
Cebuano: sundalo
Chakma: please add this translation if you can
Chamicuro: soltalo
Chavacano: soldao
Chechen: сурхо (surxo)
Cherokee: ᎠᏯᏫᏍᎩ (ayawisgi)
Chichewa: msilikali
Chinese:
Cantonese: 士兵 (si⁶ bing¹), 兵 (bing¹), 軍人 / 军人 (gwan¹ jan⁴), 戰士 / 战士 (zin³ si⁶)

Hokkien: 兵 (zh-min-nan) (sū-peng)

Mandarin: 士兵 (zh) (shìbīng), 兵 (zh) (bīng), 軍人 / 军人 (zh) (jūnrén), 戰士 / 战士 (zh) (zhànshì)
Chukchi: маравӄԓявыԓ (maravqḷjavyḷ)
Cornish: souder m
Corsican: suldatu m, sullatu m
Crimean Gothic: cadariou
Crimean Tatar: asker
Czech: voják (cs) m
Danish: soldat (da) c
Dutch: soldaat (nl) m, soldate (nl) f, militair (nl) m
Egyptian:

(wꜥw m)
Emilian: please add this translation if you can
Erzya: ушман (ušman)
Esperanto: soldato (eo)
Estonian: sõdur (et), sõjaväelane
Extremaduran: please add this translation if you can
Faroese: hermaður m
Finnish: sotilas (fi), (colloquial) solttu (fi)
French: soldat (fr) m
Friulian: soldât m
Galician: soldado (gl) m
Georgian: ჯარისკაცი (ǯarisḳaci)
German: Soldat (de) m, Soldatin (de) f
Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐍃 m (gadrauhts)
Greek: στρατιώτης (el) m (stratiótis)
Ancient: στρατιώτης m (stratiṓtēs), στρατιῶτις f (stratiôtis)
Greenlandic: sakkutooq
Gujarati: સૈનિક m (sainik)
Haitian Creole: solda
Hebrew: חַיָּל / חייל (he) m (khayál)
Higaonon: sundalo
Hiligaynon: soldado
Hindi: सैनिक (hi) m (sainik), सिपाही (hi) m (sipāhī), फ़ौजी m (faujī)
Hungarian: katona (hu)
Icelandic: hermaður (is) m
Ido: soldato (io)
Indonesian: prajurit (id), tentara (id), serdadu (id), laskar (id), askar (id) (dated)
Ingrian: sotamees
Irish: saighdiúir (ga) m
Istriot: soldà m
Italian: soldato (it) m
Japanese: 兵士 (ja) (へいし, heishi), 軍人 (ja) (ぐんじん, gunjin), 兵隊 (ja) (へいたい, heitai)
Javanese: prajurit (jv)
Kannada: ಸೈನಿಕ (kn) (sainika)
Kashubian: żôłniérz m
Kazakh: әскер (äsker), жауынгер (jauyñer), сарбаз (sarbaz), солдат (soldat), ұлан (ūlan)
Khmer: ទាហាន (km) (tiəhiən)
Kikuyu: mũthigari class 1
Korean: 군인(軍人) (ko) (gunin), 병사(兵士) (ko) (byeongsa)
Kumyk: асгер (asger)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: باڵباز (ballbaz), عەسکەر ('esker), چەکمەبۆر (çekmebor), سەرباز (ckb) (serbaz)

Northern Kurdish: serbaz (ku), leşker (ku)
Kyrgyz: жоокер (ky) (jooker), черүү (ky) (cerüü), черик (ky) (cerik), солдат (ky) (soldat), аскер (ky) (asker)
Ladin: saudé m
Lao: ທະຫານ (lo) (tha hān)
Latin: mīles (la) m, bellator m
Latvian: kareivis m, karavīrs m
Ligurian: sordàtto m
Lithuanian: karys m
Livonian: suodāmīez
Lombard: soldaa (lmo) m, suldàa m
Low German:
German Low German: Soldat m, Suldot m, Soldatin f, Suldotin f, Soldaatsch f, Soldaatsche f, Suldootsch f, Suldootsche f
Lü: ᦶᦜᧃᧈ (l̇aen¹), ᦒᦱᦠᦱᧃ (thaaḣaan)
Luxembourgish: Zaldot m
Macedonian: војник (mk) m (vojnik), аскер m (asker) (archaic)
Malagasy: miaramila (mg)
Malay: askar (ms), tentera (ms), perajurit, hulubalang
Malayalam: പടയാളി (ml) (paṭayāḷi)
Maltese: suldat m
Manchu: ᠴᠣᠣᡥᠠ (cooha)
Manx: sidoor m
Marathi: सैनिक (mr) m (sainik)
Middle English: kempe, soudeour
Mirandese: suldado
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: цэрэг (mn) (cereg)

Mongolian: ᠴᠡᠷᠢᠭ (čerig)
Moroccan Amazigh: ⴰⵄⵚⴽⵕⵉ m (aɛṣkṛi)
Navajo: siláo, siláołtsooí, łééchąąʼí yił nínii
Neapolitan: surdato
Nepali: सैनिक (ne) (sainik)
Northern Sami: soalddát
Norwegian:
Bokmål: soldat (no) m

Nynorsk: soldat m
Occitan: soldat (oc) m
Odia: ସୈନିକ (sainika)
Ojibwe: zhimaaganish
Old Church Slavonic: воиникъ m (voinikŭ)
Old English: cempa m
Ottoman Turkish: چری (çeri), عسكر (ʼasker)
Pannonian Rusyn: воїн m (vojin), вояк m (vojak)
Pashto: سرتېری (ps) m (sarteray), سپاهي m (spāhi), سپايي (ps) m (spāyi), زمېريالي m (zmeryālay), عسکر (ps) m ('askar), پلټني m (palṭani)
Persian:
Dari: عَسْکَر (askar)

Iranian Persian: سَرْباز (sarbâz), سالْدات (sâldât), عَسْکَر (askar) (chiefly Afghanistan), عَسْکَری (askari), سِپاهی (sepâhi) (historical)
Piedmontese: soldà m
Plautdietsch: Soldot m, Armeejung m
Polish: żołnierz (pl) m, wojak (pl) m, woj (a medieval one), żołdak (pl) m (derogatory), sołdat (pl) m (derogatory)
Portuguese: soldado (pt) m
Punjabi: ਸੈਨਿਕ (pa) m (sainik)
Quechua: awqapuri
Rohingya: please add this translation if you can
Romagnol: suldèd m, suldèda f
Romanian: soldat (ro) m, militar (ro) m, ostaș (ro) m (dated)
Romansch: schuldà m (Rumantsch Grischun), schuldau m (Sursilvan), suldo m (Sutsilvan, Surmiran), schuldo m (Sutsilvan), sudo m (Puter), sudà m (Vallader)
Russian: солда́т (ru) m (soldát), во́ин (ru) m (vóin), военнослу́жащий (ru) m (vojennoslúžaščij), вое́нный (ru) m (vojénnyj), воя́ка (ru) m (vojáka) (derogatory), солдафо́н (ru) m (soldafón) (derogatory), жолнёр (ru) m (žolnjór) (dated or Polish context), ци́рик (ru) m (círik) (Mongolian soldier), аске́р (ru) m (askér) ((Ottoman) Turkish soldier)
Sanskrit: सैनिक (sa) m (sainika)
Scottish Gaelic: saighdear m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: во̀јнӣк m, војнѝкиња m, војнослужац m, во̀ја̄к m, а̏скер m (Turkish soldier)

Roman: vòjnīk (sh) m, vojnìkinja (sh) m, vojnoslužac m, vòjāk (sh) m, ȁsker (sh) m (Turkish soldier)
Sicilian: suldàtu m, surdàtu m
Sinhalese: සොල්දාදුවා (soldāduwā)
Skolt Sami: sääldat
Slovak: vojak (sk) m
Slovene: vojak (sl) m, vojákinja f
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: wójak m, wójacka f

Upper Sorbian: wojak m, wojakowka f
Southern Altai: черӱчи (čerüči)
Spanish: soldado (es), militar (es) m, milico (es) m (Meridional America, colloquial), áscari (es) m (Morocco), cuilío m
Sranan Tongo: srudati
Sundanese: pajurit
Swahili: askari (sw)
Swedish: soldat (sv) c
Tabasaran: эскер (esker)
Tagalog: sundalo, kawal
Tajik: сарбоз (sarboz), аскар (askar), солдат (soldat), сипоҳи (sipoh-i)
Talysh: əskər
Tamil: போர்வீரன் (ta) (pōrvīraṉ)
Taos: nòduʼúna
Tat: əsgər
Tatar: сугышчы (tt) (suğışçı), солдат (soldat)
Telugu: బంటు (te) (baṇṭu), సైనికుడు (te) (sainikuḍu)
Thai: ทหาร (th) (tá-hǎan)
Tibetan: དམག་མི (dmag mi)
Tigrinya: ወተሃደር m (wätähadär)
Turkish: asker (tr), çeri (tr) (archaic), sü (tr)
Turkmen: esger, soldat, esğer
Ugaritic: 𐎎𐎅𐎗 (mhr)
Ukrainian: солда́т (uk) m (soldát), во́їн m (vójin), жовні́р (uk) m (žovnír), воя́к m (voják), військо́вий (uk) m (vijsʹkóvyj)
Urdu: سِپاہی m (sipāhī), فَوجی m (faujī), عَسْکَرِی m ('askarī), لَشْکَری m (laśkarī), سِپاہی m (sipāhī), سَینِک m (sainik), سولْجَر m (soljar)
Uyghur: جەڭچى (ug) (jengchi), ئەسكەر (ug) (esker)
Uzbek: soldat (uz), askar (uz), jangchi (uz)
Venetan: soldà (vec) m
Vietnamese: người lính, bộ đội (vi), binh sĩ (vi), binh lính (vi), quân lính (vi), lính (vi), lính tráng (vi), sĩ tốt (vi), quân nhân (vi), chiến sĩ (vi)
Volapük: (♂♀) soldat (vo), (♂) hisoldat, (♀) jisoldat
Votic: sõtameez
Walloon: sôdård (wa) m, sôdår (wa) m, sôdårresse (wa) f
Welsh: milwr (cy) m
West Frisian: soldaat
Yiddish: סאָלדאַט m (soldat), זעלנער m (zelner)
Zazaki: aspar (diq), lezker c
Zhuang: bing

a guardsman

Greek: εθνοφρουρός (el) m (ethnofrourós), φρουρός (el) m (frourós), φύλακας (el) m (fýlakas)
Italian: soldato (it) m
Japanese: 警備員 (ja) (けいびいん, keibiin)
Korean: 경비원(警備員) (ko) (gyeongbiwon)
Romanian: gardă (ro) f, pază (ro) f
Russian: часово́й (ru) m (časovój), карау́льный (ru) m (karaúlʹnyj), охра́нник (ru) m (oxránnik), страж (ru) m (straž)
Scottish Gaelic: freiceadan m

a member of the Salvation Army

Dutch: heilsoldaat (nl) m, heilsoldate f
Finnish: pelastussotilas
Japanese: 兵士 (ja) (へいし, heishi)
Korean: 구세군 (ko) (gusegun)

UK: a piece of buttered bread or toast

Dutch: soldaatje (nl) n
French: mouillette (fr) f
Hungarian: katona (hu) sg

a term of affection for a young boy

Dutch: kanjer (nl) m
Scottish Gaelic: laochan m
Spanish: campión m (disused), campeón (es) m

someone who fights or toils well

Finnish: soturi (fi)
German: Kämpfer (de) m

one of the asexual polymorphic forms of termites

Finnish: sotilas (fi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Swedish: (1,3) ^{(please verify)} soldat (sv) c, (3) ^{(please verify)} frälsningssoldat c

Verb

soldier (third-person singular simple present soldiers, present participle soldiering, simple past and past participle soldiered)

(intransitive) To continue steadfast; to keep striving.
(intransitive) To serve as a soldier.
(intransitive) To intentionally restrict labor productivity; to work at the slowest rate that goes unpunished.
Synonyms: dog it; fuck the dog (vulgar)
(transitive, slang) To take a ride on (another person's horse) without permission.
- 1917, Cuthbert Fetherstonhaugh, After many days: being the reminiscences of Cuthbert Fetherstonhaugh:
  It was the first time I had ever “soldiered” a horse. Soldiering means using a horse without the owner's leave or knowledge. Two of our lost horses we never found. Probably some one was soldiering them!

Usage notes

Originally from the way that conscripts may approach following orders. Usage less prevalent in the era of all-volunteer militaries.