janissary

Everyday

1. (history) A soldier in the elite foot army of the Ottoman (Turkish) sultans, from about the 1300s to 1826. tree →
2. (rare) A loyal follower or guard who does whatever a powerful leader wants. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons about the Ottoman Empire, the janissaries were the sultan's trained soldiers; boys from Christian families in the Balkans were taken and trained for this army, which is a sad and important part of the story. They also had famous military bands. Phrases: the Janissary corps, a janissary band.

Examples

• The janissaries guarded the Ottoman sultan. tree →
• Janissary bands played loud drums and cymbals. tree →
• Many janissaries were taken from their families as boys. tree →
• The sultan closed down the janissaries in 1826. tree →
• Our history book shows a janissary with a tall white hat. tree →
• The janissaries were famous for their discipline. tree →
• Some dictators surround themselves with janissaries who never question them. tree →

Note

Countable: a janissary, janissaries (y → ies). Often with a capital J. Also spelled «janizary». Pronounced JAN-i-ser-ee. A historical word; in modern talk it is used only as a strong image.