sellsword

Noun

sellsword (plural sellswords)

1. (usually) A mercenary.
   • One such warrior was Kothar, cast up by the sea in the northlands of his world, a sellsword and a mercenary, a wencher after the women of his day, a freebooter and a thief, at times, whose sword Frostfire was a magic sword.1969, Gardner Francis Fox, “Prologue”, in Kothar: Barbarian Swordsman, reprinted in The First Kothar the Barbarian MEGAPACK, Wildside Press, published 2016, →ISBN
   • Your profession always charges high and never guarantees their work. No sellsword would stay alive if he demanded a sorcerer's terms.1982, Robert Lynn Asprin, “Exercise in Pain”, in Storm Season, →ISBN

   Synonyms:

   mercenary

2. (broadly, derogatory, figuratively, often) Someone who only works for money, in the manner of a mercenary.
   • Whenever I see Alcides Escobar make another unbelievable play at shortstop, I can’t help but think we got the better of the deal in the trade for Zack Grienke. The money-hungry Grienke is now pitching for the Dodgers and admits he wanted to play for the team that paid him the most cash. A...2013 April 2, Matt Stewart, “Opinion: Royals poised to make the playoffs”, in Fox 4 (Kansas City), archived from the original on 31 May 2013
   • Soccer is class warfare, a battle between the haves and the have-nots, and those with more money and resources always win. In soccer, The Empire is undefeated. And José Mourinho, the world's greatest sellsword, the man who has discovered nothing in soccer but how to win, is its face.2014 April 28, Greg Howard, “José Mourinho Is The Antichrist: A Closet Liverpool Fan's Lament”, in Deadspin, retrieved 24 Nov 2014