desk sergeant
5
4.8
- noun
- /dɛsk ˈsɑrdʒənt/
:
sargento de guardia
- The desk sergeant is responsible for processing new arrivals and answering inquiries.
- told the desk sergeant
- ask the desk sergeant
- the desk sergeant said
Examples
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Are you the desk sergeant on duty?
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Hey, sign out with the desk sergeant before you leave, please.
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- Check in with the desk sergeant.
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See the desk sergeant on the way out.
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Please call the desk sergeant.
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Just ask the desk sergeant.
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The desk sergeant is on the phone.
Fiction book (2000) -
I'm sure the desk sergeant will call back in a minute.
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On my way out, the desk sergeant said Gloria had left an hour before.
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"Yes, ma'am," the desk sergeant said respectfully when she had finished.
Fiction book (1997)
Synonyms
6
3.1
A police officer in charge of other officers
1
4.2
A person in the military or police who does office work
A police officer at a station desk who handles paperwork and directs officers
A woman who works at a police desk, helps people, handles paperwork, and answers calls
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a sergeant responsible for the front desk' is directly derivable from combining 'desk' (location/furniture associated with reception) and 'sergeant' (police rank); it follows a common role-location compounding pattern (e.g. 'desk clerk') that learners encounter in other contexts. Cross-linguistically and in everyday usage this construction is transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Desk sergeant comes from the simple image of a sergeant who sits at the station desk to take reports, answer phones, and direct people. So, the term now means 'a police sergeant responsible for managing the front desk and routine operations'.