a student in a national service academy or private military school or on a training ship.
a student in training for service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Coast Guard.
a trainee in a business or profession.
a younger son or brother.
the youngest son.
(formerly) a gentleman, usually a younger son, who entered the army to prepare for a subsequent commission.
Also called cadet blue. a grayish to strong blue color.
Also called cadet gray. a bluish-gray to purplish-blue color.
Slang. a pimp.
a young person undergoing preliminary training, usually before full entry to the uniformed services, police, etc, esp for officer status
a school pupil receiving elementary military training in a school corps
(in England and in France before 1789) a gentleman, usually a younger son, who entered the army to prepare for a commission
a younger son or brother
the family or family branch of a younger son
(in New Zealand) a person learning sheep farming on a sheep station
1600–10; < French < Gascon capdet chief, captain (referring to the younger sons of noble families); compare Old Provençal capdel headman < Latin capitellum literally, small head; see capital 2
< Russian kadét, equivalent to ka + de (the letter names of k, d, representing konstitutsiónnyĭ demokrát Constitutional Democrat) + -t from kadét (now obsolete) cadet
A cadet is a trainee enrolled in a military academy. You might also call a cadet a plebe, but doesn't cadet sound so much better? The term cadet has many meanings: the first meaning referred to a younger male in a family. That might help you remember that a cadet is someone young: specifically, a student in a military academy. In the United States, cadets are trainees at military colleges. The cadets get a college education while also training to be officers in the armed forces. Being a cadet is a blend of traditional education and military training.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
THE CADET: I have something in my heels which weighs them down.
From Cyrano De Bergerac by Guillemard, Mary F.
THE CADET: The approach of danger is intoxicating!
From Cyrano De Bergerac by Guillemard, Mary F.
THE CADET: It must be in your way?
From Cyrano De Bergerac by Guillemard, Mary F.
A CADET: We are sick to death of him!
From Cyrano De Bergerac by Guillemard, Mary F.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
