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

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

Francis provided investigators with detailed information on hundreds of sailors, from petty officers to admirals.

From BBC

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

Mr Zhao was a petty officer working at a California naval base.

From BBC