sergeant major
Americannoun
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U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. a noncommissioned officer serving as chief administrative assistant in a unit headquarters.
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U.S. Marine Corps. a noncommissioned officer ranking above a first sergeant.
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a small damselfish, Abudefduf saxatilis, inhabiting warm Atlantic waters, having vertical black stripes on each side.
noun
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a noncommissioned officer of the highest rank or having specific administrative tasks in branches of the armed forces of various countries
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a large damselfish, Abudefduf saxatilis, having a bluish-grey body marked with black stripes
Etymology
Origin of sergeant major
First recorded in 1565–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He spent 24 years in the Army National Guard, rising to the unlisted rank of sergeant major.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2024
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota also intervened on his behalf along with the service’s top noncommissioned officer, the sergeant major of the Army.
From Seattle Times • May 16, 2024
“What matters most is making the very best Marines,” said Troy E. Black, sergeant major of the Marine Corps.
From Washington Times • May 3, 2023
Her friend, Capt Madeleine Brownlow, told the inquest she thought Ms Perks had been "shouted at" by the regimental sergeant major on her way back from the colour sergeant's room.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2023
He thinks of the colonel with his perfect jawline and flared pants; he thinks of the sallow sergeant major eyeing him over the top of the newspaper.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
