petty officer

American  

noun

1. a noncommissioned U.S. Navy rank with three grades.

2. one of the minor officers on a merchant ship, as a boatswain or carpenter.

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petty officer British  

noun

1. a noncommissioned officer in a naval service, comparable in rank to a sergeant in an army or marine corps

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Etymology

Origin of petty officer

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

The accused is a chief petty officer fire controlman assigned to a Japan-based guided missile destroyer, the USS Higgins.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2024

They deliver the text with immaculate polish; even Gabe Kessler, as a petty officer who nervously takes the stand, seems to have nailed every stutter.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2023

Last week, The Post published a report on Hatchet M. Speed, a Navy reserve petty officer with a top-secret security clearance accused of breaching the U.S.

From Washington Post • Dec. 23, 2022

In 1978, he dropped out of high school and enlisted in the Navy, where he rose to the rank of petty officer second class.

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2022

Pete, now a navy chief petty officer stationed in San Diego, came home to see Louie off.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand