one who is engaged in military service as an officer or a private; one who serves in an army; one of an organized body of combatants.-especially, a private in military service, as distinguished from an officer.-a brave warrior; a man of military experience and skill, or a man of distinguished valor; -- used by way of emphasis or distinction.-the red or cuckoo gurnard (trigla pini.)-one of the asexual polymorphic forms of white ants, or termites, in which the head and jaws are very large and strong. the soldiers serve to defend the nest. see termite.-to serve as a soldier.-to make a pretense of doing something, or of performing any task.