A Soldier Was Someone Who Was Paid
A soldier serves in an army. The word comes from a Roman coin, because what defined a soldier was pay.
A soldier serves in an army. The name is financial rather than military: the Latin *solidus* was a gold coin, and a soldier was someone who served for pay rather than obligation. The same coin gives the Italian *soldo*, French *solde* and the English word *soldier* itself.
- A member of an army. *A professional soldier.*
- To persist. *Soldier on.*
- Soldier ant — a caste with large jaws. *Soldier ants guard the nest.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | soldier | A young soldier. |
| Plural | soldiers | Two hundred soldiers. |
| Verb phrase | soldier on | We soldiered on. |
| Adjective | soldierly | Soldierly bearing. |
| Related | military | Military service. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Soldiers were deployed to the flood zone.Modern armies do a great deal of civil work.
- He soldiered on despite the injury.Kept going.
- Boiled egg and soldiers.British: strips of toast for dipping.
Ranks, lowest first
- Private — the basic rank in most armies
- Corporal — a junior non-commissioned officer
- Sergeant — a senior non-commissioned officer
- Lieutenant — a junior commissioned officer
- General — the senior command rank
From Old French *soldier*, one who serves for pay, from *solde*, pay, from Latin *solidus*, a gold coin — the same word as *solid*, because the coin was solid gold.
Are soldier and salary related?
Not directly, though both concern pay. Soldier comes from a coin, *solidus*; salary from *sal*, salt.
Why are toast strips called soldiers?
From their uniform size and the way they stand in a row beside the egg. The name is British and dates from the twentieth century.