noun
mercenary soldier; hired soldier
Refers to a soldier hired to fight for a foreign army or private group, often for money rather than loyalty.
中世の戦争では、傭い兵がよく使われた。
In medieval warfare, mercenary soldiers were often used.
彼は傭い兵として海外で戦った。
He fought overseas as a mercenary.
Compound of 傭い (yatoi, 'hiring', from verb 雇う) and 兵 (hei, 'soldier'). The kanji 傭 is a less common variant of 雇, both meaning 'employ' or 'hire'.