Definition of "samurai" [‖Sa•mu•rai]

• The Japanese feudal military aristocracy. (noun)
• A professional warrior belonging to this class. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It's amazing that with such a large cast, not just of the title samurai but of the farmers they are defending as well, the actors and Kurosawa develop so many distinct and worthy portraits."
• "And the badge of their rank was the two-handed saber -- what we call the samurai sword, but that's the modified one."
• "Update: Peter Shapinsky’s comment about the users of violence and the relative flexibility of the term samurai are also interesting."