definitions

chief petty officer

noun U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.

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

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Nearby words

chief master sergeant, chief mate, chief of naval operations, chief of staff, chief of state, chief petty officer, chief rabbi, chief technician, chief warrant officer, chiefdom, chiefly

Origin of chief petty officer

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for chief petty officer

chief petty officer

noun

the senior naval rank for personnel without commissioned or warrant rankAbbreviation: CPO
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012