commander

(kə mandər, -män-)

noun

  1. a person who commands; leader; specif.,
    1. the chief officer of a unit in certain societies and fraternal orders
    2. commanding officer
  2. a high-ranking member of an order of knighthood
  3. U.S. Navy an officer ranking above a lieutenant commander and below a captain

Origin: ME comaundour < OFr comandeor

Related Forms:

See commander in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. A person who commands, especially a commanding officer.
  2. a. Abbr. CDR A commissioned rank in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard that is above lieutenant commander and below captain.
    b. One who holds this rank.
    c. The chief commissioned officer of a military unit regardless of his or her rank.
  3. An officer in some knightly or fraternal orders.

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