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petty officer
noun
: a subordinate officer in the navy or coast guard appointed from among the enlisted men compare noncommissioned officer
Examples of petty officer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Chinese intelligence officer who convinced Thomas Zhao to hand over sensitive information about the U.S. military seemed to know the 24-year-old U.S. Navy petty officer had a passion for the stock market.
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Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2025
Francis provided information about hundreds of sailors, which included petty officers and admirals, and gave financial records, photographs, receipts, and Navy contracting documents.
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Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 7 Nov. 2024
The violence came to an end when an army veteran took down the shooter, aided by a Navy petty officer and a drag performer at the club.
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Andi Babineau, CNN, 18 June 2024
In his 20's, the petty officer first class participated in Operation Crossroads in the Pacific Ocean, the first atomic bomb tests since the 1945 nuclear weapon attacks in Japan.
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Claudia Grisales, NPR, 6 May 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1744, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near petty officer
Cite this Entry
“Petty officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petty%20officer. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
petty officer
noun
: an officer in the Navy or Coast Guard appointed from among enlisted personnel
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