Admiral

noun 1. the supreme commander of a fleet; ranks above a vice admiral and below a fleet admiral

noun 2. any of several brightly colored butterflies

The commander of a naval squadron or fleet, regardless of formal rank.; The appointed commander of a navy, regardless of formal title.

Etymology: From Middle English admiral etc., from Anglo-Norman and Old French admiral etc., from Medieval Latin admiralis, admirallus, and admiralius, from irregular modification of amiralis etc. under the influence of the prefix ad- and particularly admiror (“to admire, respect”), from Arabic أَمِير (ʔamīr, “commander”) + -alis (“-al”). The ending is frequently but mistakenly folk etymologized to derive from the article ال (al-), particularly in Arabic أَمِير اَلبَحْر (ʔamīr al-baḥr, “commander of the sea”), first attested as a Fatimid office, or in Arabic أَمِير الْمُؤْمِنِين (ʔamīr al-muʔminīn, “Commander of the Believers, caliph”). It seems instead to have been borrowed from modification of only the first term in Arabic أَمِير الْأُمَرَاء (ʔamīr al-ʔumarāʔ, “emir of emirs, commander-in-chief”) as used as a title for important commanders in Norman Sicily in the mid-12th century. First attested as an English rank in reference to Gervase Alard of Winchelsea as "admiral of the fleet of the Cinque Ports". Doublet of emir, amir, Amir, and amira. Etymology tree Middle English admiral English admiral

admiral (male or of unspecified gender)

Etymology: From English admiral, from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, and Old French admiral, from Medieval Latin admiralis, from Arabic أَمِير (ʔamīr, “commander”) + -alis (“-al”) under influence from admīrārī (“to admire, to respect”). Cognate with French amiral, etc.

obsolete form of amiral

Etymology: Via variants influenced by Latin admīrārī (“to admire, to respect”).