A noncommissioned officer in the U.S. armed forces of high rank, in particular (in the Army) an NCO above sergeant first class and below sergeant major, (in the Air Force) an NCO above technical sergeant and below senior master sergeant, or (in the Marine Corps) an NCO above gunnery sergeant and below master gunnery sergeant.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.