quartermaster

quar·ter·mas·ter

noun \ˈkwȯ(r)-tər-ˌmas-tər\

Definition of QUARTERMASTER

1

: a petty officer who attends to a ship's helm, binnacle, and signals

2

: an army officer who provides clothing and subsistence for a body of troops

First Known Use of QUARTERMASTER

15th century

Rhymes with QUARTERMASTER

alabaster, burgomaster, cellar master, China aster, concertmaster, criticaster, ghetto blaster, harbormaster, mustard plaster, oleaster, overmaster, poetaster, stationmaster, telecaster, wagon master, weathercaster, Zoroaster

quartermaster

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Officer who oversees arrangements for the quartering and movement of troops. The office dates at least to the 15th century in Europe. The French minister of war under Louis XIV created a quartermaster general's department that dotted the countryside with strategically located stockpiles of food, forage, ammunition, and equipment. By the 18th century his duties in some European countries included coordinating marches and deployments and drafting operational orders; in the U.S. he remained a specialized administrative and logistical functionary until 1962, when the Quartermaster Corps was absorbed by other agencies.