Dictionary

sergeant en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɑɹ.d͡ʒənt/ (US)
• /ˈsɑː.d͡ʒənt/ (UK)
• (US) audio
• /ˈsɑɹ(ə)nt/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English sergeant, sergeaunt, serjent, serjaunt, serjawnt, sergant, from Old French sergeant, sergent, serjant, sergient, sergant (“sergeant, servant”), from Medieval Latin servientem, accusative of serviēns (“a servant, vassal, soldier, apparitor”), from Latin serviēns (“serving”), present participle of serviō (“serve, be a slave to”). Doublet of servant and servient. The shift from /vj/ > /dʒ/ was a regular development in Old French. Compare cavea > cage, salvia > sage. The fish is so called because of its stripes, supposed to resemble a sergeant's insignia of rank. The pronunciation with /ɑɹ/ is due to a widespread development of Middle English er + consonant (see barn, start etc.). In sergeant, the spelling was standardised in one way, the pronunciation in another (compare clerk, derby in Commonwealth English, further parson vs. person, and varsity vs. university).

Meanings

1. A UK army rank with NATO code OR-6, senior to corporal and junior to warrant officer ranks.
2. The highest rank of noncommissioned officer in some non-naval military forces and police.
   • “Yes, there are two distinct sets of footprints, both wearing rubber shoes—one I think ordinary plimsolls, the other goloshes,” replied the sergeant. 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 13, in Well Tackled!:
3. (historical) A lawyer of the highest rank, equivalent to the doctor of civil law.
   • All other sergeants and barristers indiscriminately (except in the Court of Common Pleas, where only sergeants are admitted) may take upon them the protection and defense of any suitors. 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC:
4. (UK, historical) A title sometimes given to the servants of the sovereign.
   • sergeant surgeon, i.e. a servant, or attendant, surgeon
5. A bailiff.
6. A servant in monastic offices.
7. A fish, the píntano (Abudefduf saxatilis), a species of damselfish.
8. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Athyma; distinct from the false sergeants.

Forms

Deriveds

sergeant major loach · orange staff sergeant · company sergeant major · sergeant fish · sergeantess · technical sergeant · drill sergeant · saddler sergeant · first sergeant · gunnery sergeant · lance sergeant · sergeant at mace · master sergeant · police sergeant · sergeantry · sarge · regimental sergeant major · sergeant-at-arms · sergeantship · staff sergeant · sergeant-majorly · quartermaster sergeant · sergeant-major · detective sergeant · sergeant baker · master gunnery sergeant · desk sergeant · colour sergeant · sergeant major · under-sergeant · sergeant first class

Relateds

sargeant · Sargeant · sargent · Sergeant

Synonyms

sarnt · sarge

Translations (89)

ar رَقِيب (noncommissioned officer rank) · hi जमादार (noncommissioned officer rank) · mi haihana (noncommissioned officer rank) · sk čatár (noncommissioned officer rank) · hu őrmester (noncommissioned officer rank) · ky сержант (noncommissioned officer rank) · mk водник (noncommissioned officer rank) · pt sargento (noncommissioned officer rank) · sh narednik (noncommissioned officer rank) · fi kersantti (noncommissioned officer rank) · hu szakaszvezető (noncommissioned officer rank) · el αρχιφύλακας (noncommissioned officer rank) · tk seržant (noncommissioned officer rank) · eo serĝento (noncommissioned officer rank) · yue 沙展 (noncommissioned officer rank) · de Stabsunteroffizier (noncommissioned officer rank) · ka სერჟანტი (noncommissioned officer rank) · hi हवलदार (noncommissioned officer rank) · tg сержант (noncommissioned officer rank) · ja 軍曹 (noncommissioned officer rank) · th สิบเอก (noncommissioned officer rank) · fr sergent (noncommissioned officer rank) · et seersant (noncommissioned officer rank) · is liðþjálfi (noncommissioned officer rank) · af sersant (noncommissioned officer rank) · nrf sèrgent (noncommissioned officer rank) · sw sajini (noncommissioned officer rank) · sq rreshter (noncommissioned officer rank) · ar عَرِيف (noncommissioned officer rank) · cmn 警長 /警长 (noncommissioned officer rank) · ru сержа́нт (noncommissioned officer rank) · tr çavuş (noncommissioned officer rank) · th จ่า (noncommissioned officer rank) · hi दफादार (noncommissioned officer rank) · bg сержа́нт (noncommissioned officer rank) · cmn 警曹 (noncommissioned officer rank) · uz serjant (noncommissioned officer rank) · ur سارجنٹ (noncommissioned officer rank) · be сяржа́нт (noncommissioned officer rank) · hy սերժանտ (noncommissioned officer rank) · nb sersjant (noncommissioned officer rank) · bn সার্জেণ্ট (noncommissioned officer rank) · mk наредник (noncommissioned officer rank) · cmn 警官 (noncommissioned officer rank) · he סָמַל (noncommissioned officer rank) · ro sergent (noncommissioned officer rank) · az çavuş (noncommissioned officer rank) · pga ragiib (noncommissioned officer rank) · id sersan (noncommissioned officer rank) · mn түрүүч (noncommissioned officer rank) · ko 중사 (noncommissioned officer rank) · it sergente (noncommissioned officer rank) · de Feldwebel (noncommissioned officer rank) · tg гурӯҳбон (noncommissioned officer rank) · ga sáirsint (noncommissioned officer rank) · hi सार्जण्ट (noncommissioned officer rank) · ca sergent (noncommissioned officer rank) · el λοχίας (noncommissioned officer rank) · fa گروهبان (noncommissioned officer rank) · es sargento (noncommissioned officer rank) · my ဆာဂျင် (noncommissioned officer rank) · sh на́реднӣк (noncommissioned officer rank) · lt seržantas (noncommissioned officer rank) · vi trung sĩ (noncommissioned officer rank) · yi סערזשאַנט (noncommissioned officer rank) · uk сержа́нт (noncommissioned officer rank) · sh во̏днӣк (noncommissioned officer rank) · cmn 軍士 /军士 (noncommissioned officer rank) · sh на́редница (noncommissioned officer rank) · pl sierżant (noncommissioned officer rank) · cs četař (noncommissioned officer rank) · hi सार्जंट (noncommissioned officer rank) · sh narednica (noncommissioned officer rank) · hi सारजंट (noncommissioned officer rank) · sv sergeant (noncommissioned officer rank) · hi हवालदार (noncommissioned officer rank) · sl vódnik (noncommissioned officer rank) · sh vȍdnīk (noncommissioned officer rank) · my စာသင် (noncommissioned officer rank) · kk сержант (noncommissioned officer rank) · da sergent (noncommissioned officer rank) · gl sarxento (noncommissioned officer rank) · sl vódnica (noncommissioned officer rank) · nn sersjant (noncommissioned officer rank) · lv seržants (noncommissioned officer rank) · az serjant (noncommissioned officer rank) · ms sarjan (noncommissioned officer rank) · nl sergeant (noncommissioned officer rank) · mi tāriana (noncommissioned officer rank)