Category:Mercenary

Mer"ce*na*ry, a. Etym: [OE. mercenarie, F. mercenaire, fr. L. mercenarius, fr. merces wages, reward. See Mercy.]

1. Acting for reward; serving for pay; paid; hired; hireling; venal; as, mercenary soldiers.

2. Hence: Moved by considerations of pay or profit; greedy of gain; sordid; selfish. Shak. For God forbid I should my papers blot With mercenary lines, with servile pen. Daniel.

Syn. -- See Venal.

mercenary Mer"ce*na*ry, n.; pl. Mercenaries (.

Defn: One who is hired; a hireling; especially, a soldier hired into foreign service. Milman.