soldier

I. noun Etymology: Middle English soudeour, from Anglo-French soudeer, soudeour mercenary, from soudee shilling's worth, wage, from sou, soud shilling, from Late Latin solidus solidus Date: 14th century 1. a. one engaged in military service and especially in the army b. an enlisted man or woman c. a skilled warrior 2. a militant leader, follower, or worker 3. a. one of a caste of wingless sterile termites usually differing from workers in larger size and head and long jaws b. one of a type of worker ants distinguished by exceptionally large head and jaws 4. one who shirks work • soldierly adjective or adverb • soldiership noun II. intransitive verb (soldiered; soldiering) Date: 1647 1. a. to serve as a soldier b. to behave in a soldierly manner c. to push doggedly forward — usually used with on <

soldiered on to the end

> 2. to make a pretense of working while really loafing