(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is someone who has served in the armed forces of their country, especially during a war.
They approved a $1.1 billion package of pay increases for the ~s of the Persian Gulf War.
N-COUNT: oft N of n
2.
You use ~ to refer to someone who has been involved in a particular activity for a long time.
...Tony Benn, the ~ Labour MP and former Cabinet minister.
N-COUNT: usu N n