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Hero vs Mercenary - What's the difference?

hero | mercenary |

As a proper noun hero

is (greekmyth) any of a number of legendary men and women, including the priestess loved by leander.

As an adjective mercenary is

motivated by private gain.

As a noun mercenary is

a person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose prime or sole motivation is private gain.

hero

English

(wikipedia hero)

Alternative forms

* heros

Noun

(es)
  • (rfc-sense) A real or mythical person of great bravery who carries out extraordinary deeds.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • A role model.
  • The main protagonist in a work of fiction.
  • *
  • *
  • A large sandwich made from meats and cheeses; a hero sandwich.
  • (food styling, chiefly, attributive) The product chosen from several candidates to be photographed.
  • * 2003 , Solomon H. Katz, William Woys Weaver, Encyclopedia of Food and Culture
    • The preparation of the hero food involves any number of specialized techniques food stylists have developed to deal with the demands of photographing food.
  • * 2008 , Linda Bellingham, Jean Ann Bybee, Brad G. Rogers, Food Styling for Photographers (page 8)
    • Protect the hero food. Whether the hero items are on a table in the studio or in the refrigerator, freezer, etc., be sure they are identified as hero items and not for consumption.
  • * 2008 , David Random, Defying Gravity (page 24)
    • The food stylists this day had spent inordinate amounts of time preparing the hero product for a close-up scene.

    Synonyms

    * see * (sandwich) grinder, hoagie, hoagy, poor boy, po' boy, sub, submarine, submarine sandwich, torpedo, wedge

    Derived terms

    * * * * * * * * * * *

    Related terms

    *

    References

    Anagrams

    * (l) * (l) English nouns with irregular plurals ----

    mercenary

    English

    (wikipedia mercenary)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Motivated by private gain.
  • * Dryden
    • For God forbid I should my papers blot / With mercenary lines, with servile pen.

    Synonyms

    * (motivated by private gain) greedy, venal

    Noun

    (mercenaries)
  • A person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose prime or sole motivation is private gain.

    • Synonyms

    * See

    See also

    * soldier