warrant officer
1. An officer in the armed services who holds office by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer. (In the Army, the warrant officers are now intermediate in rank between the commissioned and the non-commissioned officers. The rank was abolished in the Royal Navy in 1949.)
| 1693 Lond. Gaz. No. 2848/4 Two or more Commission or Warrant-Officers of Their Majesties Ships. 1704 Milit. Dict. (ed. 2) s.v. Officer, Warrant, or Staff-Officers, those who have not the King's Commission, but are appointed by the Colonels and Captains; as the Quarter-Masters, Sergeants, Corporals, and in the same number are included Chaplains and Surgeons. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 103, I called all the Warrant officers together. 1815 Falconer's Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), Warrant-Officers, are persons employed in the royal navy, by warrant from the Commissioners of the navy, to take charge of the stores issued to them from his Majesty's dock-yards. 1836 Marryat Midsh. Easy x, The boatswain talked over the matter with the other warrant officers. 1850 H. Melville White Jacket I. vi. 36 Next in order come the Warrant or Forward officers, consisting of the Boatswain, Gunner, Carpenter, and Sail⁓maker. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Warrant-officer,..In the royal navy it was an officer holding a warrant from the navy board, as the master, surgeon, purser, boatswain, gunner, carpenter, &c. In the year 1831, when the commissioners of the navy, or navy board, were abolished, all these powers reverted to the admiralty. 1912 King's Regul. Army §284 The position of warrant officers is inferior to that of all commissioned officers, but superior to that of all N.C.Os. 1949 Order in Council (Admiralty) No. 30/C-W. 1 Whereas we are of the opinion that the title ‘Warrant Officer’ and the term ‘Warrant List’ in use in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines should no longer be used but be replaced by ‘Branch Officer’ and ‘Branch List’ respectively. |
2. An officer whose duty it is to serve warrants.
| 1895 Funk's Stand. Dict. 1901 Daily Chron. 16 Apr. 3/2 The remainder of the staff, consisting of the jailer, the under⁓jailer, the warrant-sergeant, and various warrant officers, are all policemen, selected for their duties by the police authorities. |