condottiere: Meaning and Definition of

con•dot•tie•re

Pronunciation: (kôn"du-tyâr'ā, -tyâr'ēIt.kôn"dôt-tye're), [key]
— pl. -tie•ri
  1. a leader of a private band of mercenary soldiers in Italy, esp. in the 14th and 15th centuries.
  2. any mercenary; soldier of fortune.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.