n.
Variant: also jan · i · zary
Pronunciation: ' ja-n ə - ˌ ser- ē , - ˌ zer-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -sar · ies also -zar · ies
Etymology: Italian gianizzero, from Turkish yeniçeri, from yeni new + çeri soldier
Date: 1529
1 often capitalized : a soldier of an elite corps of Turkish troops organized in the 14th century and abolished in 1826
2 : a member of a group of loyal or subservient troops, officials, or supporters