sargent
sargent Lexical Profile
• noun
John Singer Sargent (1856–1925), a prominent American expatriate artist considered the leading portrait painter of his generation, or a painting created by him.
"The art museum recently acquired an early portrait by Sargent for its permanent collection."
An archaic or nonstandard spelling of sergeant, referring to a noncommissioned military officer or police officer ranking above a corporal or patrol officer.
"The old parish ledger recorded the veteran's rank using the earlier spelling sargent."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern English, "sergeant" is the standard spelling for the military or police rank, whereas "Sargent" is primarily retained as a surname (from Old French) or appears as a common phonetic misspelling of "sergeant".
• Rhymes for sargent
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English sargent, borrowed from Old French sergent, from Latin servientem (serving), present participle of servire (to serve).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.