admiral

Meaning

Noun

• A naval officer of the highest rank; the commander of a country's naval forces.
• A naval officer of high rank, immediately below Admiral of the Fleet; the commander of a fleet or squadron.
• A flag officer in the United States Navy or Coast Guard of a grade superior to vice admiral and junior to admiral of the fleet (when that grade is used). An admiral is equal in grade or rank to a four-star general.
• The ship which carries the admiral, the flagship; also, the most considerable ship of a fleet.
• A prince or Saracen leader under the Sultan.
• Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera Kaniska (genus) and Vanessa, especially a red admiral or white admiral.

Origin

• From Middle English amiral, from Old French amirail, amiral (modern French amiral), from a shortening of Arabic أَمِير اَلبَحْر. Akin to amir, Amir, and emir. The -d- is probably from the influence of the otherwise unconnected admirable (Latin admīrābilis).
• First recorded in English in September 1300, in a description of Gerard Allard of Winchelsea as “Admiral of the Fleet of the Cinque Ports”.