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sergeantmore about sergeant

sergeant


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sergeant  \Ser"geant\,  n.  [F.  sergent,  fr  L.  serviens,  -entis, 
  p.  pr  of  servire  to  serve.  See  {Serve},  and  cf  {Servant}.] 
  [Written  also  {serjeant}.  Both  spellings  are  authorized.  In 
  England  {serjeant}  is  usually  preferred,  except  for  military 
  officers.  In  the  United  States  {sergeant}  is  common  for  civil 
  officers  also.] 
  1.  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. 
 
  The  sergeant  of  the  town  of  Rome  them  sought. 
  --Chaucer. 
 
  The  magistrates  sent  the  serjeant,  saying,  Let  those 
  men  go  --Acts  xvi. 
  35. 
 
  This  fell  sergeant,  Death,  Is  strict  in  his  arrest. 
  --Shak. 
 
  2.  (Mil.)  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 
 
  Note:  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. 
 
  3.  (Law)  A  lawyer  of  the  highest  rank,  answering  to  the 
  doctor  of  the  civil  law;  --  called  also  {serjeant  at  law}. 
  [Eng.]  --Blackstone. 
 
  4.  A  title  sometimes  given  to  the  servants  of  the  sovereign; 
  as  sergeant  surgeon,  that  is  a  servant,  or  attendant, 
  surgeon.  [Eng.] 
 
  5.  (Zo["o]l.)  The  cobia. 
 
  {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  (Zo["o]l.)  The  cow  pilot. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  sergeant 
  n  1:  any  of  several  noncommissioned  officer  ranks  in  the  army  or 
  air  force  or  marines  ranking  above  a  corporal 
  2:  a  lawman  with  the  rank  of  sergeant  [syn:  {police  sergeant}] 
  3:  an  English  barrister  of  the  highest  rank  [syn:  {serjeant-at-law}, 
  {serjeant},  {sergeant-at-law}] 




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