ronin

Meaning

Noun

• A masterless samurai (who often becomes a mercenary to make ends meet).
• A student who has failed the entrance examination for the high school or university of their choice: if the student does not wish to take the exam the following year or is unable to, the student becomes a ronin, assuming full responsibility for their own training and survival.

Origin

• From Japanese 浪人, from Middle Chinese 浪 (lang "wave", by extension "adrift") + 人 (nyin "person").