ward-room
[ward n.2]
1. The mess-cabin of naval commissioned officers above the rank of sub-lieutenant; hence, the commissioned officers as a body.
Since 1948 ward-rooms have been used by warrant officers as well as commissioned officers.
| 1758 in Ann. Reg. 1758 (1791) 306/1 On Thursday the 13th inst. at half an hour past one in the afternoon, word was passed into the ward room, by the centry, that the fore part of our ship, the Prince George, was on fire. The lieutenants ran immediately forward. 1801 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (1846) VII. p. ccxxx*, The Wardrooms will prate, I believe, none of us can doubt. 1815 Falconer's Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), Ward-room, in ships of war, a room over the gun-room, where the lieutenants, and other principal officers, sleep and mess. 1850 H. Melville White Jacket I. vi. 35 In a [U.S.] frigate it comprises the after-part of the berth-deck. Sometimes it goes by the name of the Gun-room, but oftener is called the Ward-room. 1902 Monthly Rev. Aug. 103 The engineer is received into the ward-room on his own merits. 1948 Admiralty Order in London Gaz. 25 June 3719/1 We are of the opinion that all officers of the Warrant Officer classes should be regarded as Wardroom Officers for messing purposes and the Warrant Officers Mess as such be abolished. |
2. A military
guard-room.
| 1853 James Agnes Sorel II. iv. 53 A page ran into the ward-room of the gate-tower. 1902 Lond. Mag. VIII. 444/2 Closing the ward-room door behind him he then shut the gate, thrusting the bolts into their places. |
3. A room or hall used for the meetings of a city ward.
U.S. rare.
| 1895 Funk's Stand. Dict. 1911 Webster. |
4. attrib., as
ward-room mess,
ward-room officer,
ward-room rank.
| 1887 Gunter Mr. Barnes xix. 138 Danella was soon en rapport with the *ward-room messes of half the British squadron. |
| 1850 H. Melville White Jacket I. vi. 36 Besides the First Lieutenant, the *Ward-room officers include the junior lieutenants, in a [U.S.] frigate six or seven in number, the Sailing-master [etc.]. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Ward-room officers, those who mess in the wardroom, namely: the commander, lieutenants, master, chaplain, surgeon, paymaster, marine-officers, and assistant-surgeons. |
| 1850 Huxley in L. Huxley Life (1900) I. iv. 46 He is a great advocate for the claims of assistant surgeons to *ward-room rank. |