janissary
noun
jan·is·sary
ˈja-nə-ˌser-ē 
-ˌzer-
variants
or less commonly janizary
plural janissaries also janizaries
1
often capitalized
: a soldier of an elite corps of Turkish troops organized in the 14th century and abolished in 1826
2
: a member of a group of loyal or subservient troops, officials, or supporters
Examples of janissary in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Süleyman sent him 2,000 janissaries, the elite of the Ottoman army.
—
National Geographic, 8 Oct. 2019
National Geographic, 8 Oct. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'janissary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near janissary
Cite this Entry
“Janissary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/janissary. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share