Janissary
[JAN-ə-ser-ee]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: French, early 16th century
1.
(Historical) A member of the Turkish infantry forming the Sultan's guard between the 14th and 19th centuries.
2.
A devoted follower or supporter.
Examples of Janissary in a sentence
"The janissary faithfully protected the Sultan from attacks posed by other nations."
"Ryan had been a faithful janissary of the punk band since he was a teenager."
About Janissary
Janissary developed from the French word "janissaire," but originally comes from the Turkish word "yeniçeri, where "yeni" means new and "çeri" means troops.
Did you Know?
While it was originally the title of an elite group of Turkish soldiers in the Ottoman Empire, today the word "janissary" can be applied to any group of particularly loyal supporters. Synonyms include devotee, disciple, worshipper, admirer, and believer.
