adjutant

Definition

A lower-ranking officer who assists a higher-ranking officer with administrative affairs.

Etymology

Probably partly from Spanish ayudante and partly Portuguese ajudante (“assistant, helper, aide”), use as nouns of adjectives from the present participles of Spanish ayudar and Portuguese ajudar, respectively, from Latin adiūtō (“to help, assist”), with remodeling after Latin adiūtāns, present participle of adiūtō, from adiuvō (“to help, assist”) + -tō (frequentative suffix).

Example Sentences

• "Aquatic birds of various kinds are very numerous, such as geese, darters (Plotus melanogaster), scissor-bills (Rhynchops nigra), adjutants (Leptoptilos argala), pelicans, cormorants, cranes (Grus antigone, in Burmese gyoja), whimbrels, plovers, and ibises."