centurion
/sɛnˈtjʊəɹ.i.ən/
centurion means an officer of the ancient Roman army, in command of a century of soldiers. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 81 out of 100.
centurion is pronounced /sɛnˈtjʊəɹ.i.ən/.
Why “centurion” is a great word
CENTURION — [Noun] An officer in the ancient Roman army who commanded a century, a unit of nominally one hundred soldiers. From Middle English centurioun, from Latin centuriō, centuriōnis ("commander of a hundred"), from centum ("hundred"). Unlike a legatus, who commanded a legion from senatorial height, or a tribune, who balanced aristocratic politics with military duty, the centurion was the legion's iron spine—a career soldier promoted from the ranks, his authority forged in mud and muscle. He is the guttural shout cutting through battle-din, the vine-staff rapping a worn shield-boss, the scarred face watching from the frontline as empires rise on disciplined obedience. History is often made not by those who give the grand orders, but by those who ensure they are followed.
Etymology
From Middle English centurioun, from Latin centuriō, centuriōnis (“a commander of a hundred, centurion”), from Latin centum (“a hundred”). Displaced native English hundreder and hundredman, from Middle English hundredman, from Old English hundredmann (“centurion”).
noun
- An officer of the ancient Roman army, in command of a century of soldiers.““Man,” said the largest, most protective of the Praetorian guard, her lover, no doubt, and her peroxide-blond centurion, “for an apostle of peace you sure are filled up with war.””
- A player who scores a century.
- A pilot in the United States Navy who has performed one hundred night landings on an aircraft carrier.