soldier

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
soldier/ˈsəʊlʤə(r)/

▶noun

• 1 a person who serves in an army.

  ■ (also common soldier or private soldier) a private in an army.

• 2 Entomology a wingless caste of ant or termite with a large modified head and jaws, involved chiefly in defence.

• 3 Brit. informal a strip of bread or toast, dipped into a soft-boiled egg.

• 4 an upright brick, timber, or other building element.

▶verb

• 1 serve as a soldier.

• 2 (soldier on) informal persevere.

– derivatives
soldierly adjective,
soldiership noun (archaic).

– origin ME: from OFr. soldier, from soulde ‘(soldier's) pay’, from L. solidus (see solidus).