[syn: numerous, legion(p)]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Legion \Le"gion\ (l[=e]"j[u^]n), n. [OE. legioun, OF. legion, F.
l['e]gion, fr. L. legio, fr. legere to gather, collect. See
Legend.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) A body of foot soldiers and cavalry
consisting of different numbers at different periods, --
from about four thousand to about six thousand men, -- the
cavalry being about one tenth.
[1913 Webster]
2. A military force; an army; military bands.
[1913 Webster]
3. A great number; a multitude.
[1913 Webster]
Where one sin has entered, legions will force their
way through the same breach. --Rogers.
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4. (Taxonomy) A group of orders inferior to a class.
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Legion of honor, an order instituted by the French
government in 1802, when Bonaparte was First Consul, as a
reward for merit, both civil and military.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
legion
adj 1: amounting to a large indefinite number; "numerous times";
"the family was numerous"; "Palomar's fans are legion"
[syn: numerous, legion(p)]
n 1: archaic terms for army [syn: host, legion]
2: association of ex-servicemen; "the American Legion"
3: a large military unit; "the French Foreign Legion"
4: a vast multitude [syn: horde, host, legion]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
112 Moby Thesaurus words for "legion":
KP, a mass of, a world of, armed force, armed service, army,
army group, array, battalion, battery, battle group, bevy, brigade,
bunch, cadre, career soldiers, cloud, cluster, clutter, cohort,
cohue, column, combat command, combat team, company, corps, covey,
crowd, crush, deluge, detachment, detail, division, field army,
field train, fighting machine, file, flight, flock, flocks, flood,
flying column, forces, galaxy, garrison, ground forces,
ground troops, hail, heap, hive, horde, host, jam, kitchen police,
large amount, legions, lots, maniple, many, mass, masses of,
military establishment, mob, muchness, multitude, nest, numbers,
occupation force, organization, outfit, pack, panoply, paratroops,
phalanx, platoon, plurality, posse, press, quantities, quite a few,
rabble, rank, rank and file, ranks, regiment, regular army,
regulars, rout, ruck, scores, section, shoal, ski troops, soldiery,
spate, squad, squadron, standing army, storm troops, swarm,
tactical unit, task force, the line, the military, throng,
tidy sum, train, troop, troops, unit, wing, worlds of
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:
Legion
a regiment of the Roman army, the number of men composing which
differed at different times. It originally consisted of three
thousand men, but in the time of Christ consisted of six
thousand, exclusive of horsemen, who were in number a tenth of
the foot-men. The word is used (Matt. 26:53; Mark 5:9) to
express simply a great multitude.