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# janissary

noun (a janissary, janissaries; also Janissary)

«janissary» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (history) A soldier in the elite foot army of the Ottoman (Turkish) sultans, from about the 1300s to 1826. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#m1)
2. (rare) A loyal follower or guard who does whatever a powerful leader wants. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#m2)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#x1)
- Janissary bands played loud drums and cymbals. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#x2)
- Many janissaries were taken from their families as boys. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#x3)
- The sultan closed down the janissaries in 1826. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#x4)
- Our history book shows a janissary with a tall white hat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#x5)
- The janissaries were famous for their discipline. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#x6)
- Some dictators surround themselves with janissaries who never question them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/#x7)

### 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.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «janissary» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/J/janissary/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«janissary» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/janissary.html) on Mova free.