Definition

Noun: - A senior petty officer responsible for maintaining discipline and order on a ship: A master-at-arms is a non-commissioned officer in a navy or maritime service, typically the highest-ranking enlisted person in charge of enforcing regulations, investigating offenses, and managing security aboard a vessel.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The captain relied on the master-at-arms to handle the disciplinary issues among the crew.
  • Any breach of shipboard rules must be reported to the master-at-arms immediately.

Advanced Usage

• "to serve as master-at-arms": to hold the position and perform the duties of this officer.
  • After twenty years of service, he was appointed to serve as master-at-arms on the new aircraft carrier.

Variants and Related Words

• Master-at-Arms (plural: masters-at-arms): The standard plural form of the title.
  • The conference was attended by masters-at-arms from the entire fleet.

Synonyms

• Ship's police officer: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the law enforcement role.
• Chief petty officer (in specific contexts): Refers to the senior enlisted rank, which a master-at-arms often holds.

Noun

1. the senior petty officer; responsible for discipline aboard ship