commodore

A naval officer holding a rank between captain and rear admiral.

Noun

  1. A naval officer holding a rank between captain and rear admiral.
  2. A (temporary) commander over a collection of ships who is not an admiral.
  3. The leading ship in a fleet of merchantmen.
  4. The president of a yacht club.
  5. A yacht-club president's vessel in a regatta.
  6. Ellipsis of commodore admiral.
  7. A rear admiral (lower half).
  8. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Parasarpa.

Origin

Borrowed from Dutch kommandeur, from Middle French commandeur. See command, compare commend (a doublet), and mandate.

Forms

commodores

Synonyms

senior captain fleet captain flag captain shipmaster senior grade CDRE COMO Cmdre Cmdre.

Related

brigadier general senior colonel

Derived

air commodore Commie commodora commodore admiral Commodorian