legion

Attested (in Middle English, as legioun) around 1200, from Old French legion, from Latin legiō, legionem, from legō (“to gather, collect”); akin to legend, lecture.

Generalized sense of “a large number” is due to (inaccurate) translations of allusive phrase in Mark 5:9

And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

• IPA^(key): /ˈliːdʒən/
• Rhymes: -iːdʒən

legion (not comparable)

1. Numerous; vast; very great in number

   Russia’s labor and capital resources are woefully inadequate to overcome the state’s needs and vulnerabilities, which are legion.

   Synonyms: multitudinous, numerous

legion (plural legions)

1. (military, Ancient Rome) The major unit or division of the Roman army, usually comprising 3000 to 6000 infantry soldiers and 100 to 200 cavalry troops.
2. (military, obsolete) a combined arms major military unit featuring cavalry, infantry, and artillery
3. (military) A large military or semi-military unit trained for combat; any military force; an army, regiment; an armed, organized and assembled militia.
4. (often Legion or the Legion) A national organization or association of former servicemen, such as the American Legion.
5. A large number of people; a multitude.
6. (often plural) A great number.
   • 1735, John Rogers (Canon of Wells.), “Sermon XV. Universal Obedience to the Laws of God, the indispensable Obligation of Christians”, in Nineteen Sermons on several occasions‎:

     ‎where one Sin has entered, Legions will force their Way through the fame Breach.

7. (dated, taxonomy) A group of orders inferior to a class; in scientific classification, a term occasionally used to express an assemblage of objects intermediate between an order and a class.

• (large number of people): host, mass, multitude, sea, throng

• (major unit of the Roman army): cohort, maniple, century

• (military unit): fireteam, section, troop, squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment, brigade, division, corps, wing, army, army group
• (combined arms): combat team, regimental combat team, brigade combat team

• legionary
• legionnaire

• superlegion
• sublegion
• infralegion

legion (third-person singular simple present legions, present participle legioning, simple past and past participle legioned)

1. (transitive) To form into legions.

• 1606, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act IV Scene iii

  MACDUFF. Not in the legions / Of horrid hell, can come a devil more damn'd / In evils to top Macbeth.

• 1611, Bible, King James Version

  Mark 5:9

  And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

  Matthew 26:53

  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

• 1708, John Philips, Cyder, Book II, Google Books

  Now we exult, by mighty ANNA's Care / Secure at home, while She to foreign Realms / Sends forth her dreadful Legions, and restrains / The Rage of Kings

• 1745, Edward Young, Night Thoughts, Google Books

  What can preserve my life, or what destroy ? / An angel's arm can't snatch me from the grave; / Legions of angels can't confine me there.

• 1821, Lord Byron, Sardanapalus, Act IV Scene i, Google Books

  SAR. I fear it not; but I have felt—have seen— / A legion of the dead.

• Legion (biology) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• eloign, longie, ogle-in

Ultimately from Latin lēgiō.

legion c (singular definite legionen, plural indefinite legioner)

1. legion

• IPA^(key): /leˈɡion/
• Hyphenation: le‧gi‧on
• Rhymes: -ion

legion

1. accusative singular of legio

legion f (plural legions)

1. (military) legion

• French: légion

Ultimately from Latin lēgiō.

legion m (definite singular legionen, indefinite plural legioner, definite plural legionene)

1. legion

• “legion” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Ultimately from Latin lēgiō.

legion m (definite singular legionen, indefinite plural legionar, definite plural legionane)

1. legion

• “legion” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛɡʲ.jɔn/

• audio

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legion m inan

1. legion

Ultimately from Latin lēgiō.

legion c

1. legion