technical sergeant
1
4.0
- noun
- /ˈtɛknɪkəl ˈsɜrdʒənt/
- Formal
:
sargento técnico
- The article focuses on Jennifer Smith, an Air Force technical sergeant, who is one of more than 500 women who have contacted my wife since she filed a series of lawsuits against the Pentagon beginning last year.
Examples
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A technical sergeant, perhaps?
Blog text (32) -
Technical Sergeant James A. Stewart.
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Technical Sergeant William Edward Pritchett.
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And how Technical Sergeant Bob (Boomer) Boehmer got in a bar brawl in North Africa during the war and woke up with a new tattoo of a rose on his left buttock.
Academic text (2005) -
After serving for over fifteen years, he was promoted to technical sergeant in the Air Force.
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As a technical sergeant, she was responsible for training new recruits on advanced equipment.
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The technical sergeant briefed the team on the mission's objectives before they deployed.
How Senior
- Specialized
1
6.8
- Jargon
- Specialized
7
6.0
- Formal
1
4.0
- Specialized
14
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'technical' (specialized, relating to technology/skill) + 'sergeant' (a noncommissioned officer), so a learner who knows both words will infer it denotes a type of sergeant with technical responsibilities. While the exact rank relation (e.g. below master sergeant) is specific military knowledge, the basic meaning 'a sergeant with technical/specialist duties' is directly derivable and cross-linguistically predictable.
Etymology
Technical sergeant comes from the words technical (skilled with machines and tools) and sergeant (a leader of soldiers). The image of a leader who manages and teaches technical work explains why the term now means 'a noncommissioned officer who supervises technical tasks and ranks below a master sergeant'.