Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
SOLDIER
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English soudeour, from Anglo-French soudeer, soudeour mercenary, from soudee shilling's worth, wage, from sou, soud shilling, from Late Latin solidus solidus
Date: 14th century
1. one engaged in military service and especially in the army, an enlisted man or woman, a skilled warrior, a militant leader, follower, or worker,
3. one of a caste of wingless sterile termites usually differing from workers in larger size and head and long jaws, one of a type of worker ants distinguished by exceptionally large head and jaws, one who shirks work, soldierly adjective or adverb soldiership noun
II. intransitive verb (soldiered; soldiering)
Date: 1647
1. to serve as a soldier, to behave in a soldierly manner, to push doggedly forward, to make a pretense of working while really loafing