admiral

English

/ˈæd.mə.ɹəl/

noun
Definitions
  • 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 United States Coast 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.
  • (obsolete) A prince or Saracen leader under the Sultan.
  • Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera and Vanessa, especially a red admiral or white admiral.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English amiral derived from Old French amirail derived from Arabic أَمِير اَلبَحْر (sea commander, commander of the fleet) derived from Latin admīrābilis (admirable).

Origin

Latin

admīrābilis

Gloss

admirable

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms