n. A person who has physically removed him- or herself from the control or direction of a military or naval unit with the intention of permanently leaving
n. Under the United States Code of Military Justice, a person who has been placed on AWOL status for more than 30 days
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. One who forsakes a duty, a cause or a party, a friend, or any one to whom he owes service; especially, a soldier or a seaman who abandons the service without leave; one guilty of desertion.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A person who forsakes his cause, his duty, his party, or his friends; particularly, a soldier or seaman who absents himself from his position without leave, and without the intention of returning.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.
n. a person who abandons their duty (as on a military post)
Word Usage
"Some bands, in strong positions, fought gallantly, but in the end every deserter from the militia met death."