legion
[ lee-juhn ]
/ ˈli dʒən /
noun
a division of the Roman army, usually comprising 3000 to 6000 soldiers.
a military or semimilitary unit.
the Legion.
any large group of armed men.
any great number of persons or things; multitude.
adjective
very great in number: The holy man's faithful followers were legion.
Origin of legion
1175–1225; Middle English
legi(o)un (< Old French) < Latin
legiōn- (stem of
legiō) picked body of soldiers, equivalent to
leg(ere) to gather, choose, read +
-iōn-
-ion
Words nearby legion
Example sentences from the Web for legion
British Dictionary definitions for legion
legion
/ (ˈliːdʒən) /
noun
a military unit of the ancient Roman army made up of infantry with supporting cavalry, numbering some three to six thousand men
any large military force
the French Foreign Legion
(usually capital)
an association of ex-servicemen
the British Legion
(often plural)
any very large number, esp of people
adjective
(usually postpositive)
very large or numerous
Word Origin for legion
C13: from Old French, from Latin
legio, from
legere to choose