sergeant

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ser=geant

CIDE DICTIONARY

sergeant, n. [F. sergent, fr. L. serviens, -entis, p. pr. of servire to serve. See Serve, and cf. Servant.].

•  Formerly, in England, an officer nearly answering to the more modern bailiff of the hundred; also, an officer whose duty was to attend on the king, and on the lord high steward in court, to arrest traitors and other offenders. He is now called sergeant-at-arms, and two of these officers, by allowance of the sovereign, attend on the houses of Parliament (one for each house) to execute their commands, and another attends the Court Chancery.  [1913 Webster]

  "The sergeant of the town of Rome them sought."  [1913 Webster]

  "The magistrates sent the serjeant, saying, Let those men go."  [1913 Webster]

  "This fell sergeant, Death,
  Is strict in his arrest."  [1913 Webster]
•  In a company, battery, or troop, a noncommissioned officer next in rank above a corporal, whose duty is to instruct recruits in discipline, to form the ranks, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  " In the United States service, besides the sergeants belonging to the companies there are, in each regiment, a sergeant major, who is the chief noncommissioned officer, and has important duties as the assistant to the adjutant; a quartermaster sergeant, who assists the quartermaster; a color sergeant, who carries the colors; and a commissary sergeant, who assists in the care and distribution of the stores. Ordnance sergeants have charge of the ammunition at military posts."  [1913 Webster]
•  A lawyer of the highest rank, answering to the doctor of the civil law; -- called also serjeant at law.  Blackstone.  [1913 Webster]
•  A title sometimes given to the servants of the sovereign; as, sergeant surgeon, that is, a servant, or attendant, surgeon.  [1913 Webster]
•  The cobia.  [1913 Webster]

Drill sergeant. (Mil.) See under Drill. -- Sergeant-at-arms, an officer of a legislative body, or of a deliberative or judicial assembly, who executes commands in preserving order and arresting offenders. See Sergeant, 1. -- Sergeant major. (a) (Mil.) See the Note under def. 2, above. (b) (Zoöl.) The cow pilot.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sergeant, n.
1 a non-commissioned Army or Air Force officer next below warrant officer.
2 a police officer ranking below (Brit.) inspector or (US) captain.

Idiom

company sergeant-major Mil. the highest non-commissioned officer of a company. Sergeant Baker Austral. a large brightly-coloured marine fish, Aulopus purpurissatus. sergeant-fish a marine fish, Rachycentron canadum, with lateral stripes suggesting a chevron. sergeant-major Mil.
1 (in full regimental sergeant-major) Brit. a warrant-officer assisting the adjutant of a regiment or battalion.
2 US the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer.

Derivative

sergeancy n. (pl. -ies). sergeantship n.

Etymology

ME f. OF sergent f. L serviens -entis servant f. servire SERVE

THESAURUS

sergeant

G-man, MP, NCO, acting corporal, acting sergeant, bailiff, beadle, beagle, bound bailiff, captain, catchpole, centurion, chief of police, chief warrant officer, color sergeant, commissioner, constable, corporal, deputy, deputy sheriff, detective, fed, federal, first sergeant, flic, gendarme, government man, havildar, inspector, lance corporal, lance sergeant, lictor, lieutenant, mace-bearer, marshal, master sergeant, mess sergeant, mounted policeman, naik, narc, noncom, noncommissioned officer, officer, patrolman, peace officer, platoon sergeant, police captain, police commissioner, police constable, police inspector, police matron, police officer, police sergeant, policeman, policewoman, portreeve, reeve, roundsman, sarge, sergeant at arms, sergeant first class, sergeant major, sheriff, staff sergeant, superintendent, technical sergeant, tipstaff, tipstaves, top sergeant, topkick, trooper, warrant officer

ROGET THESAURUS

sergeant

Master

N master, padrone, lord, lord paramount, commander, commandant, captain, chief, chieftain, sirdar, sachem, sheik, head, senior, governor, ruler, dictator, leader, boss, cockarouse, sagamore, werowance, lord of the ascendant, cock of the walk, cock of the roost, gray mare, mistress, potentate, liege, liege lord, suzerain, sovereign, monarch, autocrat, despot, tyrant, oligarch, crowned head, emperor, king, anointed king, majesty, imperator, protector, president, stadholder, judge, ceasar, kaiser, czar, tsar, sultan, soldan, grand Turk, caliph, imaum, shah, padishah, sophi, mogul, great mogul, khan, lama, tycoon, mikado, tenno, inca, cazique, voivode, landamman, seyyid, Abuna, cacique, czarowitz, grand seignior, prince, duke, archduke, doge, elector, seignior, marland, margrave, rajah, emir, wali, sheik nizam, nawab, empress, queen, sultana, czarina, princess, infanta, duchess, margravine, czarevna, czarita, maharani, rani, rectrix, regent, viceroy, exarch, palatine, khedive, hospodar, beglerbeg, three-tailed bashaw, pasha, bashaw, bey, beg, dey, scherif, tetrarch, satrap, mandarin, subahdar, nabob, maharajah, burgrave, laird, collector, commissioner, deputy commissioner, woon, the authorities, the powers that be, the government, staff, etat major, aga, official, man in office, person in authority, sircar, sirkar, Sublime Porte, marshal, field marshal, marechal, general, generalissimo, commander in chief, seraskier, hetman, lieutenant general, major general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, centurion, skipper, lieutenant, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, sublieutenant, officer, staff officer, aide-de-camp, brigadier, brigade major, adjutant, jemidar, ensign, cornet, cadet, subaltern, noncommissioned officer, warrant officer, sergeant, sergeant major, color sergeant, corporal, corporal major, lance corporal, acting corporal, drum major, captain general, dizdar, knight marshal, naik, pendragon, mayor, mayoralty, prefect, chancellor, archon, provost, magistrate, syndic, alcalde, alcaid, burgomaster, corregidor, seneschal, alderman, councilman, committeeman, councilwoman, warden, constable, portreeve, lord mayor, officer, dewan, fonctionnaire, admiral, admiralty, rear admiral, vice admiral, port admiral, commodore, captain, commander, lieutenant, ensign, skipper, mate, master, officer of the day, OD, navarch, da locum melioribus, der Furst ist der erste Diener seines Staats, the prince is the first servant of his state, lord of thy presence and no land beside.