sergeant

sergeant
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. [1913 Webster]

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

The magistrates sent the serjeant, saying, Let those men go. --Acts xvi. 35. [1913 Webster]

This fell sergeant, Death, Is strict in his arrest. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

3. (Law) A lawyer of the highest rank, answering to the doctor of the civil law; -- called also {serjeant at law}. [Eng.] --Blackstone. [1913 Webster]

4. A title sometimes given to the servants of the sovereign; as, sergeant surgeon, that is, a servant, or attendant, surgeon. [Eng.] [1913 Webster]

5. (Zo["o]l.) 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) (Zo["o]l.) The cow pilot. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Sergeant — (engl.), Sergent (franz.), Sargento (port. und span., von lat. serviens, dienend) ist in zahlreichen angelsächsischen und romanischen Ländern ein Unteroffiziersdienstgrad oder Polizeidienstgrad. In Frankreich wird der Sergent in den sog.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • 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 Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sergeant — Sergeant, Satelles, Accensus. Semble qu il vienne de Seruiens seruientis: Car il est comme serviteur ou servant du juge. Si de Servient trissyllabe, par mutation de i vocal en i consonant, nous faisons un mot dissyllabe, nous dirons Serv jent,… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • sergeant — [sär′jənt] n. [ME serjaunt < OFr sergant < L serviens, serving < servire, to SERVE] 1. former a feudal servant who attended his master in battle 2. SERGEANT AT ARMS 3. ☆ a) U.S. Army U.S. Marine Corps a noncommissioned officer of the… …   English World dictionary

  • Sergeant — Sm Dienstgrad eines Unteroffiziers per. Wortschatz fach. (13. Jh.), mhd. serjant Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus mfrz. sergent, dieses aus ml. serviēns Dienender , zu l. servīre dienen ; servieren. So bezeichnet ist zunächst ein niederer Beamter des… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • sergeant — (n.) c.1200, servant, from O.Fr. sergent, from M.L. servientum (nom. serviens) servant, vassal, soldier (in L.L. public official ), from L. servientem serving, prp. of servire to serve (see SERVE (Cf. serve)); cognate with Sp. sirviente, It …   Etymology dictionary

  • Sergeant — »Unteroffizier«: Die heute im deutschen Heerwesen nicht mehr übliche Dienstgradbezeichnung wurde bereits im Anfang des 17. Jh.s aus frz. sergent »Gerichtsdiener; Unteroffizier« entlehnt. In jüngster Zeit begegnet das Wort infolge erneuter… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • sergeant — sergeant, serjeant The normal spelling in the context of the police and the army is sergeant; serjeant is usually restricted to the titles of certain ceremonial offices, such as the serjeant at arms with reference to the British parliamentary or… …   Modern English usage

  • sergeant — ► NOUN 1) a rank of non commissioned officer in the army or air force, above corporal and below staff sergeant. 2) Brit. a police officer ranking below an inspector. ORIGIN originally in the senses «servant» and «common soldier»: from Old French… …   English terms dictionary

  • Sergeant — (fr., spr. Serschang), 1) in den meisten Heeren die ältesten Unteroffiziere einer Compagnie, welche höheren Sold bekommen; in anderen Heeren gehört auch der Fourier, Capitän d Armes u. Feldwebel dazu; Letzter heißt dann, wie bei den Franzosen, S …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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