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Noun: janissary  'ja-ni,se-ree [N. Amer], ja-ni-su-ree [Brit]
  1. A loyal supporter
    "every politician has a following of janissaries";
    - janizary
Noun: Janissary  'ja-ni,se-ree [N. Amer], ja-ni-su-ree [Brit]
  1. A member of an elite infantry unit of the Ottoman Empire (14th-19th centuries), originally formed of forcibly conscripted Christian boys and later becoming a powerful military and political force
    - Janizary

Derived forms: janissaries, Janissaries

Type of: acolyte, follower, pongo [Brit, informal], soldier

Encyclopedia: Janissary