c.1325, from O.Fr. officer, from M.L. officarius, from L. officium (see office). The military sense is first recorded 1565. Applied to petty officials of justice from 16c.; U.S. use in ref. to policemen is from 1880s.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command; "an officer is responsible for the lives of his men" [syn: military officer]
2.
someone who is appointed or elected to an office and who holds a position of trust; "he is an officer of the court"; "the club elected its officers for the coming year" [syn: officeholder]
3.
a member of a police force; "it was an accident, officer" [syn: policeman]
4.
a person authorized to serve in a position of authority on a vessel; "he is the officer in charge of the ship's engines"
Com*mis"sion\, n. [F., fr. L. commissio. See Commit.]1. The act of committing, doing, or performing; the act of perpetrating. Every commission of sin introduces into the soul a certain degree of hardness. --South. 2. The act of intrusting; a charge; instructions as to how a trust shall be executed. 3. The duty or employment intrusted to any person or persons; a trust; a charge. 4. A formal written warrant or authority, granting certain powers or privileges and authorizing or commanding the performance of certain duties. Let him see our commission. --Shak. 5. A certificate conferring military or naval rank and authority; as, a colonel's commission. 6. A company of persons joined in the performance of some duty or the execution of some trust; as, the interstate commerce commission. A commission was at once appointed to examine into the matter. --Prescott. 7. (Com.) (a) The acting under authority of, or on account of, another. (b) The thing to be done as agent for another; as, I have three commissions for the city. (c) The brokerage or allowance made to a factor or agent for transacting business for another; as, a commission of ten per cent on sales. See Del credere. Commission of array. (Eng. Hist.) See under Array. Commission of bankruptcy, a commission appointing and empowering certain persons to examine into the facts relative to an alleged bankruptcy, and to secure the bankrupt's lands and effects for the creditors. Commission of lunacy, a commission authorizing an inquiry whether a person is a lunatic or not. Commission merchant, one who buys or sells goods on commission, as the agent of others, receiving a rate per cent as his compensation. Commission, or Commissioned, officer (Mil.), one who has a commission, in distinction from a noncommissioned or warrant officer. Commission of the peace, a commission under the great seal, constituting one or more persons justices of the peace. [Eng.] To put a vessel into commission (Naut.), to equip and man a government vessel, and send it out on service after it has been laid up; esp., the formal act of taking command of a vessel for service, hoisting the flag, reading the orders, etc. To put a vessel out of commission (Naut.), to detach the officers and crew and retire it from active service, temporarily or permanently. To putthe great seal, or the Treasury, into commission, to place it in the hands of a commissioner or commissioners during the abeyance of the ordinary administration, as between the going out of one lord keeper and the accession of another. [Eng.] The United States Christian Commission, an organization among the people of the North, during the Civil War, which afforded material comforts to the Union soldiers, and performed services of a religious character in the field and in hospitals. The United States Sanitary Commission, an organization formed by the people of the North to co["o]perate with and supplement the medical department of the Union armies during the Civil War. Syn: Charge; warrant; authority; mandate; office; trust; employment.
Of"fi*cer\, n. [F. officier. See Office, and cf. Official, n.]1. One who holds an office; a person lawfully invested with an office, whether civil, military, or ecclesiastical; as, a church officer; a police officer; a staff officer. "I am an officer of state." --Shak. 2. (U. S. Mil.) Specifically, a commissioned officer, in distinction from a warrant officer. Field officer, General officer, etc. See under Field, General. etc. Officer of the day (Mil.), the officer who, on a given day, has charge for that day of the quard, prisoners, and police of the post or camp. Officer of the deck, or Officer of the watch (Naut.), the officer temporarily in charge on the deck of a vessel, esp. a war vessel.
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