samurai

The Japanese feudal military aristocracy.

A professional warrior belonging to this class.

The military class of Japan during the continuance of the feudal system there, including both daimios, or territorial nobles, and their vassals or military retainers, but more particularly the latter, or one of them; a military retainer of a daimio; a two-sworded man, or two-sworded men collectively. The samurai were both the soldiers and the scholars of Japan.

In the former feudal system of Japan, the class or a member of the class, of military retainers of the daimios, constituting the gentry or lesser nobility. They possessed power of life and death over the commoners, and wore two swords as their distinguishing mark. Their special rights and privileges were abolished with the fall of feudalism in 1871. They were referred to as “a cross between a knight and a gentleman”.

In feudal Japan, a soldier of noble birth who followed the code of bushido and served a daimyo.

a Japanese warrior who was a member of the feudal military aristocracy

feudal Japanese military aristocracy