Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
An employee who is hired, often to perform unpleasant tasks with little independence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Someone who does a job purely for money, rather than out of interest in the work itself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A horse for hire.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A prostitute.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a person who works only for money
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: pensionary
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: employee
History
From Middle English hirlyng, from Old English hȳrling (“hireling, employee”), from Proto-West Germanic *hūʀijuling. Cognate with West Frisian hierling, Dutch huurling (“hireling, mercenary”), German Low German Hüürling, German Heuerling. By surface analysis, hire + -ling.
Across languages
10 source translations are retained for this English entry.
