admiral

American  

[ad-mer-uhl] / ˈæd mər əl /

noun

1. the commander in chief of a fleet.

2. a naval officer of the highest rank.

3. a naval officer of a high rank: the grades in the U.S. Navy are fleet admiral, admiral, vice-admiral, and rear admiral.

4. Obsolete. the flagship of an admiral.

5. British. a master who directs a fishing fleet.

6. any of several often brightly colored butterflies of the family Nymphalidae, as Vanessa atalanta red admiral.

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admiral British  

/ ˈædmərəl /

noun

1. the supreme commander of a fleet or navy

2. Also called: admiral of the fleet.   fleet admiral.  a naval officer of the highest rank, equivalent to general of the army or field marshal

3. a senior naval officer entitled to fly his own flag See also rear admiral vice admiral

4. the master of a fishing fleet

5. any of various nymphalid butterflies, esp the red admiral or white admiral

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Other Word Forms

• admiralship noun

Etymology

Origin of admiral

1175–1225; Middle English, variant of amiral < Old French < Arabic amīr al commander of the; -d- < Medieval Latin admīrābilis mundī for Arabic amīr al-mu'minīn commander of the faithful; or with replacement of a- ⁵ by ad-, as in administer

Example Sentences

Navy rear admiral, estimated it could take three to four weeks from the start of Iran’s retaliatory attacks on March 1 to reduce the risk of transiting the strait to manageable levels.

From The Wall Street Journal

A single prediction delivered by a U.S. admiral six years ago has shaped military strategy for a potentially catastrophic conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal

A single prediction delivered to Congress by a U.S. admiral six years ago has shaped military strategy and spurred billions of dollars in spending in preparation for a potentially catastrophic conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal

Pablo Caicedo, a retired admiral who last year was the head of Ecuador’s Navy, said U.S. military support is crucial for fighting gangs that have expanded into illegal gold mining in Ecuador’s remote jungle regions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Carrier deployments during peacetime are typically six months long, with planners allowing for a few months of potential overrun if needed, said Mark Montgomery, a retired rear admiral.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• board
• bureau
• cabinet
• committee
• department
• executive
• legislature
• management
• ministry
• presidency