praetorian

alternative pretorian · alternative prætorian

1. Ancient Romenot comparableOf or pertaining to a praetor.
2. Ancient Romenot comparableOf or pertaining to the pretorium in an ancient Roman camp.

   The praetorian gate was directly in front of the general's tent, and nearest to the enemy.

3. Ancient Romenot comparableOf or pertaining to the special bodyguard force used by Roman emperors.

   praetorian guard

   1 more example

   Hey, sir? Sir, excuse me?” The blonde was calling out to him, in imperious tones that insisted on a reply. Her satraps became watchful, like a Praetorian guard.

   2001, Salman Rushdie, Fury: A Novel, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN, page 4

4. broadlynot comparableCorruptly mercenary and venal.

plural praetorians · alternative pretorian · alternative prætorian

1. Ancient RomeA praetor; a person of praetorian rank.

   I am so rich, I could have given bid for bid with the wealthiest Prætorians at the auction of the Roman empire (which was the world’s); and yet I owe for the flesh in the tongue I brag with.

   1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 108, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC

2. Ancient RomeAlternative letter-case form of Praetorian (“member of a special bodyguard force used by Roman emperors”).

   Durry's work is still cited as the definitive study of the praetorians, and in fact most modern scholarship on the praetorians is based on material from his work.

   2013, Sandra Bingham, The Praetorian Guard, I.B.Tauris, page 6

3. broadlyA venal mercenary.

   1 more example

   The Trump praetorians who initially denied there was any effort to pressure the Ukrainians into action on a Biden probe, possibly including the withholding of congressionally approved military aid, suddenly surfaced a new talking point: “They’re trying to turn what was a Biden scandal into a Trump scandal.”

   2019 September 23, Jonah Goldberg, “Column: The most noxious part of Ukraine-Biden whistleblower affair is Team Trump thinks we’re all idiots”, in Los Angeles Times

plural Praetorians · alternative praetorian · alternative pretorian · alternative Pretorian · alternative obsolete prætorian · alternative obsolete Prætorian

1. Ancient RomehistoricalA member of a special bodyguard force used by Roman emperors, their symbol being the scorpion.