quartermaster general
1
9.1
- noun
- /ˈkwɔrtərˌmæs.tər ˈdʒɛn.ər.əl/
- Specialized
:
intendente general
- Jesup was a competitive individual and a seasoned quartermaster general who was well acquainted with a variety of persuasive techniques that could expedite supplies.
Examples
-
This is dramatically illustrated by a dependence on a single problematic remark by Maj. Gen. Thomas Jesup, army quartermaster general, southern Democrat, slave owner, and for two years the commander of the Florida war.
Academic text (2017) -
The quartermaster general, however, turned down his request for blankets, stating that government stores were only for soldiers in the field, not for the underpaid, starving, freezing men and women who made those same goods.
Academic text (2007) -
When Nathanael Greene became the quartermaster general and German Baron von Steuben began training the Continental troops, things began to look up.
Blog text (16) -
The quartermaster general is responsible for ensuring that all soldiers receive the necessary supplies during battles.
-
As the quartermaster general, he coordinated the distribution of food and equipment to the troops.
-
During the campaign, the quartermaster general closely monitored the transportation of resources to support the army.
How Senior
- Specialized
1
9.1
- Specialized
9
7.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'quartermaster' (an officer in charge of supplies) combined with 'general' (a senior/high-ranking officer) yields the senior officer responsible for supplies across an army. This head+rank pattern is transparent and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can deduce the meaning.
Etymology
Quartermaster general comes from old army words: a quarter was a place to sleep and keep goods and a master was the person in charge, so a quartermaster looked after places to sleep and supplies. The word general shows this officer was the top one for the whole army, so the quartermaster general is the senior officer 'in charge of supplies, food, and transport'.