Legion
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈliËdÊ’É™n/
- Rhymes: -iËdÊ’É™n
Origin
Attested (in Middle English, as legioun) around 1200, from Old French legion, from Latin legiÅ, legionem, from legere ("to gather, collect"); akin to legend, lecture.
Generalized sense of “a large number†is due to (inaccurate) translations of allusive phrase in
And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
Full definition of legion
Adjective
legion
- Numerous; vast; very great in number; multitudinous.Russia's labor and capital resources are woefully inadequate to overcome the state's needs and vulnerabilities, which are legion.
Noun
legion
(plural legions)- (military, Ancient Rome) The major unit or division of the Roman army, usually comprising 3000 to 6000 infantry soldiers and 100 to 200 cavalry troops.
- (military, obsolete) a combined arms major military unit featuring cavalry, infantry, and artillery
- (military) A large military or semimilitary unit trained for combat; any military force; an army, regiment; an armed, organized and assembled militia.
- (often Legion or the Legion) A national organization or association of former servicemen, such as the American Legion, founded in 1919.
- A large number of people; a multitude.
- (often plural) A great number.Where one sin has entered, legions will force their way through the same breach. — John Rogers (1679-1729) Google Books
- (dated, taxonomy) A group of orders inferior to a class; in scientific classification, a term occasionally used to express an assemblage of objects intermediate between an order and a class.
Coordinate terms
- (military unit) fireteam, section, troop, squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment, brigade, division, corps, wing, army, army group
- (combined arms) combat team, regimental combat team, brigade combat team