master-at-arms

American  

[mas-ter-uht-ahrmz, mah-ster-] / ˈmæs tər ətˈɑrmz, ˈmɑ stər- /

noun

masters-at-arms plural

1. an officer of a fraternal organization, veterans' society, or the like, empowered to maintain order, exclude unauthorized persons, etc. MAA

2. Navy. a petty officer who has various duties, such as keeping order on the ship, taking charge of prisoners, etc. MAA

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master-at-arms British  

noun

1. the senior rating, of Chief Petty Officer rank, in a naval unit responsible for discipline, administration, and police duties

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• masters-at-arms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of master-at-arms

First recorded in 1740–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

master-at-arms masters-at-arms

Maekar offers Ser Duncan a place at their family seat of Summerhall so he can stay with Egg and finish his own training under an approved master-at-arms.

From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2026

Adamiak is a master-at-arms, the Navy’s military police.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 25, 2022

I thought, “The one condemned to death is the master-at-arms because he has lost everything, his reason to live.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2022

He’d grown up seeing his dad on telly – Casualty one night, The Bill the next – and the big screen, notably as the master-at-arms in James Cameron’s Titanic.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 19, 2019

Jon had never seen the master-at-arms look quite so happy.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Order was kept by 26 polite, tough "masters-at-arms," i.e., seafaring bouncers.

From Time Magazine Archive

A dozen masters-at-arms came and went at Horn Hill, trying to turn Samwell into the knight his father wanted.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Formerly the badge of office of boatswains' mates and masters-at-arms, made of three rattans bound together with waxed twine.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

"There's a chance for you boys to see some real action," declared one of the masters-at-arms.

From Navy Boys Behind the Big Guns Sinking the German U-Boats by Owen, R. Emmett (Robert Emmett)

But, alas! all this perfume could not be wasted for nothing; and the masters-at-arms and ship's corporals, putting this and that together, very soon burrowed into the secret.

From White Jacket or, the World on a Man-of-War by Melville, Herman