different between commodore vs pennant

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch kommandeur, from Middle French commandeur. See command, compare commend (a doublet), and mandate..

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?m?d??/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?m?d??/

Noun

commodore (plural commodores)

1. (military, nautical) A naval officer holding a rank between captain and rear admiral.
2. (nautical) A (temporary) commander over a collection of ships who is not an admiral.
3. (nautical) The leading ship in a fleet of merchantmen.
4. (nautical) The president of a yacht club.
5. (nautical) A yacht-club president's vessel in a regatta.
6. (US, military, nautical) A commodore admiral.
7. (US, military, nautical) A rear admiral (lower half).
8. (entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Parasarpa.

Usage notes

The equivalent army rank is brigadier, senior colonel, brigadier general, or lowest ranking general officer grade.

Synonyms

• (non-flag naval rank): senior captain, fleet captain, flag captain
• (nautical): senior captain, fleet captain, flag captain, shipmaster senior grade
• (flag naval rank): CDRE, COMO (abbreviation)
• (naval rank): Cmdre, Cmdre. (abbreviation)

Coordinate terms

• brigadier

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch kommandeur, from Middle French commandeur; from Latin commendare, from com- + mandare, from mand? (“I order, command”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?.m?.d??/

Noun

commodore m or f (plural commodores)

1. (military, nautical) commodore, a naval military rank between captain (capitaine de vaisseau or capitaine de croiseur) and rear admiral (contre-amiral)

Synonyms

• cmdre, cmdre. (abbreviation)

Further reading

• “commodore” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Middle English penon, penoun, pynoun, Old French penon, French pennon, from Latin penna (“feather”). See pen (“a feather”), and compare pennon, pinion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?n?nt/
• Rhymes: -?n?nt

Noun

pennant (plural pennants)

1. A flag normally used by naval vessels to represent a special condition.
   1. The broad pennant flown by commodores.
   2. The church pennant indicating religious services are taking place aboard ship.
   3. The commissioning pennant flown on ceremonial occasions.
2. (sports) The winning of a competition, represented by a flag.

   The New York Yankees have won the American League pennant far more often than any other team.

3. A rope or strap to which a purchase is hooked.
4. A sandstone between coal measures in parts of South Wales

Usage notes

Not to be confused with pedant (one overly concerned with correctness), nor with pendant (a piece of jewellery).

Related terms

• pennon

Translations

Further reading

• Pennant in the 1921 edition of Collier's Encyclopedia.