quartermaster

See also: quarter-master and quarter master

English

Alternative forms

• quarter-master, quarter master

Etymology

From Middle English quartermayster, quartermaistre, equivalent to quarter +‎ master. Perhaps reinforced by and merged with Dutch kwartiermeester, kwartier-meester. Compare German Quartiermeister, French quartier-maître.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈk(w)ɔɹtɚˌmæstɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkwɔːtɚˌmɑːstə/
• Hyphenation: quar‧ter‧mas‧ter

Noun

quartermaster (plural quartermasters)

1. (military) An officer whose duty is to provide quarters, provisions, storage, clothing, fuel, stationery, and transportation for a regiment or other body of troops, and superintend the supplies. Master of quartering.
2. (nautical) A petty officer who attends to the helm, binnacle, signals, and the like, under the direction of the master. Once master of the quarterdeck.
3. (scouting) A leadership position within a troop whose responsibility it is to track and maintain the troop's equipment, for example stoves, Dutch ovens, utensils, and tents.

Coordinate terms

• baggage train
• wagonmaster

 

Derived terms

• quartermaster general
• quartermaster train

 

Translations

officer responsible for supplies

• Czech: proviantní důstojník m
• Danish: kvartermester c
• Finnish: majoitusmestari
• French: quartier-maître (fr) m
• Georgian: კვარტერმაისტერი (ḳvarṭermaisṭeri), ზემდეგი-მესაჭე (zemdegi-mesač̣e)
• German: Quartiermeister m, Steuermannsmaat m (nautical)
• Hebrew: אפסנאי m (afsenai), מַלָּח בָּכִיר (he) m (malakh bakhir), הַגַּאי (he) m (hagay)
• Ido: furiero (io), quartermastro (io)
• Irish: ceathrúmháistir m
• Manx: mainshtyr kerroo m
• Norman: quartchi-maître m
• Polish: kwatermistrz m
• Portuguese: quartel-mestre m
• Russian: квартирме́йстер (ru) m (kvartirméjster), интенда́нт (ru) m (intendánt), старшина́-рулево́й m (staršiná-rulevój) (nautical)
• Swedish: kvartermästare c

Verb

quartermaster (third-person singular simple present quartermasters, present participle quartermastering, simple past and past participle quartermastered)

1. To act as a quartermaster