chief petty officer

American  

noun

U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.

1. a noncommissioned rank above petty officer first class and below senior petty officer. CPO, C.P.O., c.p.o.

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chief petty officer British  

noun

1.  CPO.  the senior naval rank for personnel without commissioned or warrant rank

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Etymology

Origin of chief petty officer

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

A senior chief petty officer named Angel Torres remembered, “All of the sudden, this big cloud engulfs us. It wasn’t white smoke. It was like something I’d never seen before.”

From Literature

Her husband, a chief petty officer, declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press because he fears retaliation from the Navy.

From Seattle Times

A chief petty officer, Spillers, 30, worked as a career counselor.

From Seattle Times

Gregory Allen Howard was born Jan. 28, 1952, in Norfolk, but moved frequently because of his stepfather’s assignments as a Navy chief petty officer.

From Washington Post

As the ship came together, the captain gathered his chief petty officers to set the tone for the crew.

From Washington Post