sergeant
/ˈsɑːdʒ(ə)nt
/noun
1A rank of non-commissioned officer in the army or air force, above corporal and below staff sergeant.Because of the increased number of volunteer soldiers, the ministry will phase out recruitment of non-commissioned officers, including air force and army sergeants and naval petty officers....
- Lessons have different levels of difficulty to reflect the roles of either a sergeant or a warrant officer.
- It is us, staff sergeants and sergeants, who don't want to take the time to train and mentor soldiers.
1.1British A police officer ranking below an inspector.A 15-strong team of Lothian and Borders police officers, including a chief inspector, two sergeants and 12 police constables will police the new building....
- But there are still ten constables, two sergeants and a detective inspector operating from the incident room at a secret location in Bradford.
- Bradford's public is suffering because of a shortage of police sergeants and inspectors, it was claimed today.
1.2US A police officer ranking below a lieutenant.Behind the desk, a lieutenant, a sergeant, and a police officer were conversing....
- A sergeant at the police station cut hair from his head, neck, and part of his left shoulder blade.
- At the Police station, a sergeant takes down my story and informs me I've been the victim of online Identity theft.
Derivatives
sergeancy
- Having proven his valor, he is restored to his sergeancy and is given the honor of pinning his son with his flying wings at the graduation ceremony.
- By virtue of his sergeancy, his name crops up with greater frequency in the journals of Lewis and Clark than that of most others.
sergeantship
Origin
Middle English: from Old French sergent, from Latin servient- 'serving', from the verb servire. Early use was as a general term meaning 'attendant, servant' and 'common soldier'; the term was later applied to specific official roles.
Sergeant is from Old French sergent, from Latin servire ‘serve’. Early use was as a term meaning ‘attendant, servant’ and ‘common soldier’; the term was later applied to specific official roles. The Middle English word serjeant is a variant commonly used in legal contexts.