Legio

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historical term referring to a large military unit in ancient Rome typically comprising several thousand soldiers
2. Describing a division of troops in the Roman army, characterized by its organization and command structure
3. Referring to an extensive group of engaged combatants, particularly in the context of Roman military history

Etymology: In early Rome, a "legio" was first a levy, the act of selecting men for military service. The Latin verb "legere" meant to gather, choose, or pick out, and it is the same root behind "lecture" and "legend." The army took its name from the process of picking its soldiers. The later Roman legion was a standing formation of several thousand men, with its own commanders and internal structure, but the name stayed. English borrowed the word in the Middle Ages through Old French, first as a term for a military unit and then for any large body of people. The sense of "vast number" owes something to scripture. In the Gospel of Mark, a possessed man tells Jesus, "My name is Legion, for we are many" (Mark 5:9). That phrase reinforced the idea of a multitude, which is why English speakers still say a legion of admirers or a legion of problems.

Synonyms: legion, army, troop, multitude, host