brigadier
(brɪgəˈdɪə(r))
Also 7 brigadeere.
[? a. Fr. brigadier (not in Cotgr. 1611), f. brigade: see above.]
1. More correctly brigadier-general: A military officer in command of a brigade; the status ranks between a major-general and a colonel, but is only local or temporary, being generally held by the senior colonel of the regiments or battalions brigaded together.
| 1678 Sir C. Lyttelton in Hatton Corr. (1878) 162 It shall not rest upon him if I be not made a brigadeere. 1690 Lond. Gaz. No. 2573/4 His Majesty sent Monsieur de la Meloniere, Brigadier-General, with 5 Regiments. 1703 Ibid. 3916/1 He has appoint 4 Brigadiers General. 1809 Wellington Let. in Gurw. Disp. IV. 484, I appointed Colonel Low to be a Brigadier General. 1844 Regul. & Ord. Army 3 Officers serving on the Staff in the capacity of Brigadier-Generals are to take Rank..from their Commissions as Colonels in the Army, not from the dates of their appointments as Brigadiers. |
† 2. brigadier-wig: see quot. Obs.
| c 1770 J. Granger's Lett. (1805) 280 A full wig tied back in one curl is a Major, in two curls is a Brigadier. 1772 Graves Spirit. Quix. iii. xiii. (D.) A man..in a brigadier wig and grave habit. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. li, He..pushed back his brigadier wig. |