soldier
soldier — noun
1. someone whose job is to be a member of a national fighting force, trained to use
someone whose job is to be a member of a national fighting force, trained to use weapons and to fight in battles when ordered
Walid joined the army as a soldier right after finishing high school.
joined the army as a soldier
The soldiers marched through the dusty streets of the old town at dawn.
Young soldiers often train for months before being sent to a conflict zone.
Élise's grandfather was a soldier who fought in two different wars and survived both.
A soldier's daily life includes physical training, equipment checks, and team drills.
- service member
broader term covering all military branches, not just army
- warrior
more literary or historical; suggests skill and bravery but is not an official rank or job title
- fighter
general term for someone who engages in combat; less formal and not specific to armies
- civilian
a person not in the armed forces
文法句型
soldier + in/with [army/unit]
用法筆記
Frequently paired with branch-of-service nouns: army soldier, infantry soldier, child soldier. The word typically refers to non-officer ranks, though it can be used generically for all military personnel.
常見錯誤
2. a thin rectangular piece of toasted bread that is cut long and narrow so it can
a thin rectangular piece of toasted bread that is cut long and narrow so it can be dipped into the soft centre of a cooked egg with a runny yolk
Gita cut the toast into thin soldiers to dip into her soft-boiled egg.
cut into soldiers
The children laughed as they dipped their egg soldiers into the runny golden yolk.
A proper Sunday breakfast often includes soldiers served with a perfectly boiled egg.
Sofia prefers her soldiers lightly buttered and golden brown before dipping them in the egg.
- toast strip
descriptive term without the playful 'soldier' name; neutral register
文法句型
soldier(s) of/from toast
cut into soldiers
用法筆記
Exclusively British English usage in the context of breakfast. The term is almost always plural (soldiers) when referring to the bread strips. Not used for other dipping scenarios.
常見錯誤
3. an ant or termite that belongs to a group whose members have oversized heads fit
an ant or termite that belongs to a group whose members have oversized heads fitted with strong biting mouthparts, and whose role is to guard the colony from danger
A soldier ant uses its powerful jaws to block the narrow entrance of the nest.
soldier ant uses jaws to block entrance
Unlike worker ants, soldier ants have much larger heads and stronger mandibles.
When the termite mound is attacked, the soldiers rush to defend the colony.
The soldier caste in an ant colony never leaves the nest to search for food.
- major worker
alternative scientific term; some researchers avoid 'soldier' for ants and use this instead
- worker
a colony member that gathers food and builds rather than fights
文法句型
soldier + ant/termite
soldier caste
用法筆記
Common in biology and entomology texts. The term distinguishes this caste from workers (which forage and build) and reproductives (which breed). Not used for all ant species — some colonies lack a distinct soldier caste.
soldier — verb
1. to work as a member of an army, typically for a fixed period of duty
to work as a member of an army, typically for a fixed period of duty
Walid soldiered for six years before leaving the army to study engineering.
soldiered for [time]
The regiment had soldiered together through three difficult campaigns in the mountains.
soldiered together through
Many young adults choose to soldier as a way to pay for their education.
Eric's uncles soldiered in the same battalion during the civil war in the early 1990s.
文法句型
soldier + in/for [army/nation]
soldier + together/alongside
用法筆記
Less common than the noun form in everyday speech. Often found in historical or formal military narratives. The phrasal verb soldier on (meaning 'persevere') is far more frequent in modern British English.