Wiktionary:Word of the day/2024/February 27

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take the shilling v (intransitive)

(British, military, historical) To enlist as a soldier in the British army or navy by accepting a shilling from a recruiting officer. (by extension) (military, dated) To enlist as a soldier of any military force; to join the armed forces. (generally) To be on the payroll of an organization; to work for an organization. The New Model Army Ordinance became law on this date in 1645 (17 February according to the Julian calendar) during the First English Civil War, establishing the New Model Army. This was the first full-time professional army raised within England, Ireland, and Scotland, and is regarded as the forerunner of the present-day British Army.

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