Definition

Noun: A recruiting-sergeant is a sergeant in the armed forces who is specifically assigned the duty and authority to enlist new soldiers or recruits into the service.

Usage

This term is used to refer to the specific military role and rank of a sergeant whose primary task is recruitment. It describes a person, not the activity itself. * The recruiting-sergeant traveled from town to town, seeking able-bodied men to join the regiment. * He spoke with the recruiting-sergeant about the benefits of a military career.

Advanced Usage

• The term is historically specific, often associated with periods before modern, centralized recruitment systems (e.g., 18th and 19th centuries).
• It can be used metaphorically to describe a person or thing that effectively attracts people or supporters to a cause, organization, or activity.
  • The successful scholarship program became the university's best recruiting-sergeant for top students.

Variants and Related Words

• Recruiter (n): A more general and modern term for a person whose job is to enlist or hire people. A recruiting-sergeant is a specific type of military recruiter.
• Recruitment (n): The overall action or process of enlisting new people.
• Sergeant (n): A non-commissioned officer rank.

Synonyms

• Enlistment officer
• Military recruiter (modern equivalent)

Notes on Different Meanings

The term has one primary, literal meaning related to the historical military role. Its metaphorical use is an extension of this core meaning, implying an effective agent for attracting or enlisting people.

Noun

1. a sergeant deputized to enlist recruits