Ammirals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A plural term referring to multiple high-ranking naval officers who command fleets or significant naval operations
2. Designation for several senior naval commanders responsible for strategy and leadership of maritime forces
3. Collective reference to numerous top-tier naval leaders holding authority over various naval units or missions

Etymology: "Ammirals" is simply the plural of "admiral", the rank held by a commander of a fleet or navy. The singular carries the Arabic word "amir", meaning "commander", and the title arrived in Europe through a chain of Medieval Latin, Old French and Anglo-Norman before reaching Middle English as "ammiral". The Arabic element itself comes from the root for command or rule, so the rank's name records a long-standing link between Mediterranean seafaring and Arabic-speaking powers. The Arabic phrase "amir al-" (commander of) was often attached to a noun to form a title, and European sailors and clerks picked up the first part and reshaped it. Over centuries the spelling drifted, and the form "admiral", with a d, emerged in English, probably through influence from the Latin word "admirabilis" folk-associated with "admire", a case of a word being reshaped by a convincing but mistaken resemblance.

Synonyms: admirals