rear admiraln.
/ˌrɪər ˈadm(ə)rəl/, /ˌrɪər ˈadm(ə)rl̩/, U.S. /ˌrɪ(ə)r ˈædm(ə)rəl/ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > war vessel > [noun] > flagship
admiral of the fleet1512
admiral ship1539
admiral1557
rear admiral1578
vice-admiralc1595
flag1652
flagship1672
1578 T. Ellis True Rep. Last Voy. Meta Incognita sig. Bii The Rearadmirall and the Beare got themselues cleare without danger of yce and rocks, strooke their sailes and lay a hull.
c1587 R. Leng True Descr. Voy. Sir F. Drake (1864) 14 We all put out to sea..: videlicet..the Golden Lyon, vize-admirall; the Dreade-naughte, reare admirall [etc.].
a1665 K. Digby Jrnl. Voy. to Mediterranean (1868) 28 The newes of my Rereadmirall fighting the day before with the Venetian shippe.
1690 London Gaz. No. 2541/3 Their Majesties Ship the Coronation, being a second Rate, and Rear-Admiral of the Red.
1727 S. Colliber Columna Rostrata vi. 293 He next attack'd the rear-admiral, being a ship of fourty-four guns.
2. A naval officer ranking below a vice admiral; this rank of officer. See also admiral n. 2a.In the Royal Navy, the rank was formerly sometimes conferred upon retired officers who had been passed over for promotion to flag rank.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > seafaring warrior or naval man > leader or commander > [noun] > naval officer > flag officer > admiral > subordinate admirals
vice-admiral1520
rear admiral1589
under-admiral16..
Rear Admiral of England1684
Rear Admiral of Great Britain1707
port admiral1785
V.A.1794
1589 Summarie Drakes W. Indian Voy. 2 Captaine Francis Knolles, Rieradmirall in the Gallion Leicester.
a1642 W. Monson Naval Tracts (1704) iii. 332/1 The use of a Rear-Admiral is but a late invention, and is allow'd but the ordinary Pay of a Captain.
1690 in J. Wise Two Narr. of Exped. against Quebec (1902) 29 This day ye General..issued out his order to ye vice & Rear admiral to send him an account of all sea men & armes on board each vessel.
1702 London Gaz. No. 3829/3 Sir John Munden, Rear-Admiral of the Red, hoisted his Flag this day on the Mizen-top-mast of her Majesty's Ship the Victory.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine at Admiral There are at present in England..four rear-admirals of the red, four of the white, and five of the blue squadron.
1802 C. James New Mil. Dict. at Rank Admirals..rank with generals of horse and foot; rear-admirals, as major-generals.
1883 Harper's Mag. Aug. 441/1 The weather-beaten brow of the Rear-Admiral on duty as naval aide.
1918 Current Opinion Oct. 222/3 Rear-Admiral Niblack is in command of Squadron Two of the American Patrol Fleet.
1950 G. Hackforth-Jones Worst Enemy i. 24 This line, which linked me directly with the Rear-Admiral, was fitted with a device known as a ‘scrambler’.
2005 D. Philpott St. Lucia ii. 100/1 In 1779 two English fleets under the command of Rear Admiral the Hon. Samuel Barrington and Vice Admiral Sir John Byron gathered off Pigeon Island.
Phrases
Rear Admiral of England n. now historical an honorary title and post given between 1684 and 1707 by the English sovereign to a senior admiral.
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society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > seafaring warrior or naval man > leader or commander > [noun] > naval officer > flag officer > admiral > subordinate admirals
vice-admiral1520
rear admiral1589
under-admiral16..
Rear Admiral of England1684
Rear Admiral of Great Britain1707
port admiral1785
V.A.1794
1684 London Gaz. No. 1901/3 His Majesty has been graciously pleased to constitute Arthur Herbert Esq. Rear Admiral of England.
1705 London Gaz. No. 4086/3 The Lord High Admiral has been pleased to appoint Sir Cloudesly Shovell..to be Rear-Admiral of England.
1891 Dict. National Biogr. IX. 620/2 In the following spring (3 Feb. 1683–4) he [sc. Arthur Herbert] was nominated rear-admiral of England.
1927 Times 5 Jan. 12/4 Some of the most distinguished flag officers in our naval annals, such as Sir George Rooke,..were commissioned as Vice or Rear-Admiral of England.
2006 South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) (Nexis) 28 June 7 The captain of the Association, Rear-Admiral of England Sir Cloudesley Shovel, made it ashore.
Rear Admiral of Great Britain n. now historical an honorary title and post given between 1707 and 1800 by the sovereign of Great Britain to a senior admiral, often bestowed upon or during retirement.The title officially superseded that of Rear Admiral of England after the Act of Union of 1707, and was itself superseded by Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom after union with Ireland in 1801.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > seafaring warrior or naval man > leader or commander > [noun] > naval officer > flag officer > admiral > subordinate admirals
vice-admiral1520
rear admiral1589
under-admiral16..
Rear Admiral of England1684
Rear Admiral of Great Britain1707
port admiral1785
V.A.1794
1707 London Gaz. No. 4397/3 He was at the Time of his Death Rear-Admiral of Great Britain.
1799 Naval Chron. 1 368 (note) In August 1771 [Sir George Rodney] was made Rear Admiral of Great Britain.
1886 Dict. National Biogr. III. 1048/2 He [sc. William Carnegie] became..admiral 4 June 1814, but had no further service during the war. In 1821 he was constituted rear-admiral of Great Britain.
1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 195/1 The vice-and rear-admiral of Great Britain are again honorary titles, without the active functions.
1995 D. M. Epstein in L. Frey & M. Frey Treaties of War of Spanish Succession 241 Leake..was appointed rear admiral of Great Britain and, in 1710, was made responsible for the administration of the Admiralty.
2003 P. Trew in N. Tracy & M. Robson Age of Sail 117/2 The attachment by his creditors of his salary as Rear-Admiral of Great Britain.
Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom n. (also more fully Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) an honorary title and post, first bestowed in 1814, and given by the sovereign of Great Britain to a senior admiral, sometimes upon or during retirement.The incumbent Rear Admiral of Great Britain, Sir William Cornwallis, stayed in office until 1814; the new title was not bestowed until then.
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1814 London Gaz. 14 May 1007/1 His Royal Highness has also been pleased, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, to grant to William Young, Esq.,..the offices or places of Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
1819 Gentleman's Mag. July 85/1 Sir J. Saumarez..to be Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom.
1927 Times 5 Jan. 12/4 (heading) Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom. Sir Stanley Colville appointed.
2000 Hull Daily Mail (Nexis) 29 Apr. 2 Scarborough businessman Don Robinson has asked Admiral Sir Jeremy Black, who is a member of the Queen's Royal Household as Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom, to perform the formal opening ceremony.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2009; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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