Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One of a former body of Turkish infantry, constituting the Sultan's guard and the main standing army, first organized in the fourteenth century, and until the latter part of the seventeenth century largely recruited from compulsory conscripts and converts taken from the Rayas or Christian subjects.
- noun A common name of Clepticus parræ, a labroid fish of the West Indian fauna.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A soldier of a privileged military class, which formed the nucleus of the Turkish infantry, but was suppressed in 1826.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Alternative spelling of
janissary .
Etymologies
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Examples
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Having nothing else to amuse his solitude, he employed himself in contriving some plan to gratify his curiosity, in despite of the sedulous caution of Janet and the old Highland janizary, for he had never seen the young fellow since the first morning.
Waverley 2004
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It was the Turk -- a fellow who had been a janizary, and had the reputation of not knowing what fear was.
The Blue Pavilions Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch 1903
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Down by the barn a tired janizary pumped water into a trough for two tired mules still in harness.
Ma Pettengill Harry Leon Wilson 1903
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When Arthur left with Grahame Mr. McMeeter had just begun an address which described the policeman as a satellite, a janizary, and a pretorian of Rome.
The Art of Disappearing John Talbot Smith 1889
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Having nothing else to amuse his solitude, he employed himself in contriving some plan to gratify his curiosity, in spite of the sedulous caution of Janet and the old Highland janizary, for he had never seen the young fellow since the first morning.
The Waverley 1877
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Tell him of lovelorn hearts, of the "worm I 'the bud," of the mental impalement upon Cupid's arrow, like that of a giaour upon the spear of a janizary, and he can only think of lack of exercise, of tightlacing, and slippers in winter.
The Conflict with Slavery and Others, Complete, Volume VII, The Works of Whittier: the Conflict with Slavery, Politics and Reform, the Inner Life and Criticism John Greenleaf Whittier 1849
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Tell him of lovelorn hearts, of the "worm I 'the bud," of the mental impalement upon Cupid's arrow, like that of a giaour upon the spear of a janizary, and he can only think of lack of exercise, of tightlacing, and slippers in winter.
The Complete Works of Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier 1849
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Tell him of lovelorn hearts, of the "worm I 'the bud," of the mental impalement upon Cupid's arrow, like that of a giaour upon the spear of a janizary, and he can only think of lack of exercise, of tightlacing, and slippers in winter.
Criticism, Part 4, from Volume VII, The Works of Whittier: the Conflict with Slavery, Politics and Reform, the Inner Life and Criticism John Greenleaf Whittier 1849
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Both the janizary and the skipper arose as the others entered the room.
Jack Sheppard A Romance William Harrison Ainsworth 1843
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"I advised him not to trouble you farther about Jack Sheppard," answered the supposed janizary.
Jack Sheppard A Romance William Harrison Ainsworth 1843
chained_bear commented on the word janizary
There's a fairly well-known fife tune from the 18th century called "Janizary's March." I heard that the term comes from the particularly feared, "special forces"-type soldiers of the Ottoman Empire. I noticed that the page janissary has a definition of "loyal supporter." Seems like that probably comes from the same root, if not meaning exactly the same thing.
January 11, 2008
wildrose commented on the word janizary
I think they're the same word just variants in spelling. I always knew the definition as 'an elite Turkish guard' as well. 'Loyal supporter' sounds like some one tried to simplify. If you call a person janissary these days chances are you don't mean literally but rather showing a similar loyalty (revolts included, of course).
January 11, 2008