# trojan

/ˈtɹoʊdʒən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trojan
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. ancient person

noun · CEFR B2

a person who lived in the ancient city of Troy.

For teachers: a native or inhabitant of the ancient city of Troy, famously involved in the Trojan War.

- The story tells of how the Trojans defended their city for ten years.
- Archaeological evidence suggests that the Trojans maintained a sophisticated trading network across the Aegean long before the city's legendary fall.

### 2. malicious software

noun · CEFR B2

a harmful computer program that looks like a normal, safe file.

For teachers: a type of malware that misleads users of its true intent by appearing to be a legitimate or desirable application.

- He accidentally downloaded a trojan while trying to install a free game.
- The security audit revealed a sophisticated trojan that had been exfiltrating sensitive data under the guise of a system update.

Usage: Often used as a shortened form of 'Trojan horse'.

### 3. hard worker

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal

someone who works very hard or shows great strength and courage.

For teachers: a person who demonstrates exceptional pluck, endurance, or determination in a task.

- She worked like a trojan to get the project finished by the deadline.
- Despite the freezing conditions, the volunteers worked like trojans to clear the blocked roads before the morning commute.

### 4. astronomical body

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

an asteroid or moon that follows the same path as a larger planet.

For teachers: an asteroid or natural satellite that shares the orbit of a larger planet, remaining near stable points.

- Jupiter has thousands of trojans that follow it around the sun.
- The mission was designed to study the composition of the Jovian trojans to better understand the early formation of the solar system.

### 5. relating to Troy

adjective · CEFR B2

connected to the ancient city of Troy or its people.

For teachers: of or relating to the ancient city of Troy, its inhabitants, or the legendary war fought there.

- The Trojan War is one of the most famous stories in history.
- The museum features a collection of Trojan pottery discovered during the late nineteenth-century excavations.

### 6. to infect with malware

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical · Slang

to put a harmful program onto a computer system.

For teachers: to infect a computer or network with a trojan horse program.

- The hackers managed to trojan the server through a weak password.
- Once the attackers had successfully trojaned the workstation, they gained persistent access to the internal corporate network.

## Examples

- Never download unknown files because they might contain a trojan.
- The security breach occurred after an employee inadvertently installed a trojan disguised as a routine software update.
- Modern cybersecurity defenses must constantly evolve to detect sophisticated trojans that remain dormant within a system for months before executing their primary payload.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.