hireling

hireling
noun /ˈhaɪrˌlɪŋ/
a) an employee who is hired, often to perform unpleasant tasks with little independence

When my poor James was in the smallpox, did I allow any hireling to nurse him?

b) someone who does a job purely for money, rather than out of interest in the work itself

... it may be truly affirmed that no kind of men love business for itself but those that are learned; for other persons love it for profit, as a hireling that loves the work for the wages;


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  • Hireling — Hire ling, a. Serving for hire or wages; venal; mercenary. Hireling mourners. Dryden. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hireling — [hīr′liŋ] n. [ HIRE + LING1] a person who is for hire; esp., one who will follow anyone s orders for pay; mercenary adj. of or like a hireling; mercenary …   English World dictionary

  • Hireling — Hire ling (h[imac]r l[i^]ng), n. [AS. h[=y]reling. See {Hire}, n., and { ling}.] One who is hired, or who serves for wages; esp., one whose motive and interest in serving another are wholly gainful; a mercenary. Lewd hirelings. Milton. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hireling — index employee, mercenary Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • hireling — one who works for hire, O.E. hyrling; see HIRE (Cf. hire) + LING (Cf. ling). As an adjective by 1580s …   Etymology dictionary

  • hireling — adj *mercenary, venal, hack Analogous words: servile, menial, *subservient: *mean, abject, sordid …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • hireling — ► NOUN chiefly derogatory ▪ a person who is hired, especially for morally dubious or illegal work …   English terms dictionary

  • hireling — UK [ˈhaɪə(r)lɪŋ] / US [ˈhaɪrlɪŋ] noun [countable] Word forms hireling : singular hireling plural hirelings mainly literary someone who is willing to do unpleasant or illegal jobs for people in order to earn money …   English dictionary

  • hireling — [[t]ha͟ɪ͟ə(r)lɪŋ[/t]] hirelings N COUNT (disapproval) If you refer to someone as a hireling, you disapprove of them because they do not care who they work for and they are willing to do illegal or immoral things as long as they are paid …   English dictionary

  • hireling — noun Date: before 12th century a person who serves for hire especially for purely mercenary motives …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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