admiral
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈædməɹəl/
ipa: /ˈædmɹəl/
ipa: /ˈædməɹl/
ipa: /ˈædməɹəl/
ipa: /ˈædmɚəl/
Forms: form: admirals
form: Admiral
form: Adm.
form: Adm
form: adml.
form: ADM
form: admyralle
form: amyrall
form: admarall
form: admerell
form: admerolle
form: admirell
form: admyrell
form: amerall
form: ammyrall
form: amral
form: amrell
form: amrelle
form: admirail
form: admiralle
form: admyral
form: admyrall
form: amiral
form: amirall
form: ammiral
form: admeral
form: admerall
form: ammirall
form: admirant
form: amrall
form: ammirant
form: admirall
form: admirante
form: admirel
Etymology: From Middle English admiral etc., from Anglo-Norman and Old French admiral etc., from Medieval Latin admiralis, admirallus, and admiralius, from irregular modification of amiralis etc. under the influence of the prefix ad- and particularly admiror (“to admire, respect”), from Arabic أَمِير (ʔamīr, “commander”) + -alis (“-al”). The ending is frequently but mistakenly folk etymologized to derive from the article ال (al-), particularly in Arabic أَمِير اَلبَحْر (ʔamīr al-baḥr, “commander of the sea”), first attested as a Fatimid office, or in Arabic أَمِير الْمُؤْمِنِين (ʔamīr al-muʔminīn, “Commander of the Believers, caliph”). It seems instead to have been borrowed from modification of only the first term in Arabic أَمِير الْأُمَرَاء (ʔamīr al-ʔumarāʔ, “emir of emirs, commander-in-chief”) as used as a title for important commanders in Norman Sicily in the mid-12th century. First attested as an English rank in reference to Gervase Alard of Winchelsea as "admiral of the fleet of the Cinque Ports". Doublet of emir, amir, Amir, and amira.
Etymology tree
Middle English admiral
English admiral
Senses: topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: The commander of a naval squadron or fleet, regardless of formal rank.
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: The appointed commander of a navy, regardless of formal title.
examples: text: ... from my experience in Ours as well as from my former intimacy with many Officers of Note in the British Navy, I am convinced that the Parity of Rank between Sea & land or Marine Officers, is of more consequence to the harmony of the Service, than hath generally been imagined. — in the British Establishment — an Admiral ranks with a Genl a Vice Admiral with a Lieut Genl a Rear Admiral with a Major Genl a Commodore with a Brigadier Genl — a Captain with a Colonel, a master & Commander with a Lieut Colnel — a Lieut. Commanding with a Major, and a Lieutenant in the Navy Ranks with a Captain of Horse, Foot or Marines. — I propose not our Enemies as an Example for our Genl imitation — Yet as their Navy is the best regulated of any in the World, we must in Some degree imitate them and Aim at such further improvement as may one day make ours Vie with and Exceed theirs.
ref: 1776 September 4, John Paul Jones, letter to Robert Morris
text: He has appealed to the navies of Europe to prove, that we ought to have Admirals; then, of course he is willing, or at least ought to be so, to let their rules govern in promoting to that grade. The general principle which governs the navies of the old world is... when the Post is attained, then promotion is by inheritance... If a Post Captain in the English navy lives long enough, he is certain of being an Admiral, though not before he is sixty years of age... Hence it is manifest that the public interest no more requires the new grade of Admiral to be added to the navy, than it does the bestowing of orders of nobility on all the diplomatic agents, who represent the United States at the different courts of Europe.
ref: 1836 March 17, 'Candor', "The Navy", Army and Navy Chronicle, Vol. II, No. 11, p. 173
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: A high rank in the British and American Navies, NATO grade OF-9, equivalent ranks in other navies, in coast guards, etc.
glosses: The commander of a fishing or merchant fleet, particularly (historical, Canada) a captain granted special privileges in exchange for bringing the first ship of a given fishing season to certain harbors in Newfoundland.
topics: biology
natural-sciences
zoology
glosses: Any of several species of nymphalid butterflies of the genera Kaniska, Limenitis and Vanessa.
topics: biology
conchology
natural-sciences
zoology
glosses: The shell of the Conus ammiralis; the cone shells of various other species displaying similarly intricate banding.
glosses: Synonym of flagship: an admiral's ship in a fleet, the command or largest ship in a naval or commercial fleet.
synonyms: word: flagship
extra: an admiral's ship in a fleet, the command or largest ship in a naval or commercial fleet
examples: text: The Saracen admiral, Balán... held court in the Castillo de Aguas Muertas...
ref: 2004, Howard Mancing, The Cervantes Encyclopedia, volume I, page 373:
glosses: Synonym of emir, a Muslim commander or prince.
synonyms: word: emir
extra: a Muslim commander or prince
topics: biology
botany
natural-sciences
glosses: Any of several varieties of pear, the trees which produce them.
Hyponyms: Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Navy
commodore admiral
counter admiral
counter-admiral
fleet admiral
full admiral
general admiral
general-admiral
grand admiral
lieutenant admiral
lieutenant-admiral
Lord High Admiral
rear admiral
rear-admiral
sub-admiral
vice admiral
vice-admiral
Derived terms: admiral butterfly
admiral cone
admiralcy
admiraless
admiral-in-chief
admiral of the blue
admiral of the fleet
Admiral of the Navy
admiral of the red
admiral of the sea
admiral of the Swiss Navy
admiral of the white
admiral pear
admiral sauce
admiral shell
admiral ship
admiralship
admiralty
blue admiral
brown admiral
commodore admiral
Dutch admiral
fishing admiral
fleet admiral
full admiral
general admiral
grand admiral
High Admiral
Kentucky Admiral
lieutenant admiral
Lord High Admiral
Lorquin's admiral
port admiral
rear admiral
red admiral
ride admiral
scarlet admiral
squadron admiral
sub-admiral
tap the admiral
under-admiral
vice admiral
white admiral
yellow admiral