vol|un|teer

vol|un|teer «_VOL uhn TIHR», noun, verb, adjective.

–n.

1. a person who enters any service of his own choice; one who is not drafted: »

Most soldiers are volunteers.

2. a person who serves without pay. In some towns the firemen are volunteers.

3. Law. a) a person who acts of his own free will in a transaction. b) a person who receives property by a conveyance made without a valuable consideration.

4. a plant which grows from self-sown seed.

–v.i.

1. to offer one's services of one's own free will: »

to volunteer for an expedition. As soon as war was declared, many men volunteered for the army.

2. to offer of one's own free will: »

He volunteered to carry the water.

–v.t.

1. to offer (one's services or oneself) for some special purpose or enterprise.

2. to offer to do, undertake, give, or show (something) without being asked: »

to volunteer a job or song.

3. to tell or say voluntarily: »

She volunteered the information.

–adj.

1. of or made up of volunteers: »

Our village has a volunteer fire department.

2. serving as a volunteer: »

That man is a volunteer fireman in this town.

3. = voluntary. (Cf. ↑voluntary)

4. growing from self-sown seed: »

volunteer petunias.

╂[earlier voluntier < French volontaire (originally) adjective < Latin voluntārius. See related etym. at voluntary. (Cf. ↑voluntary)]