cadet

noun, often attributive ca·det \ kə-ˈdet \

Definition of cadet

1 a :a younger brother or son

b :youngest son

c :a younger branch of a family or a member of it

2 :one in training for a military or naval commission; especially :a student in a service academy

3 slang :pimp

—

cadetship

play \-ˌship\ noun

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Recent Examples of cadet from the Web

The church was founded in 1840 in the central Virginia city of Lexington to provide services to cadets at the then-new Virginia Military Institute.

— michelle boorstein, Washington Post, "This is the church where Robert E. Lee declared himself a sinner. Should it keep his name?," 22 Aug. 2017
All 148 prison facilities remained on lockdown Friday, and all able-bodied administrators and officers, including new cadets and probation and parole officers, were ordered to report to the state’s dangerously understaffed institutions.

— julie k. brown, miamiherald, "Florida prison guards seize weapons, cell phones as statewide lockdown enters day 3," 18 Aug. 2017
In 2014, the channel’s Iraqi affairs editor tweeted approvingly about the Camp Speicher massacre, in which the Islamic State killed more than 1,500 air-force cadets in Tikrit after singling out the Shia and non-Muslims.

— yasmeen serhan, The Atlantic, "The Countries Closing Ranks on Al Jazeera," 8 Aug. 2017
This is where the 18-year-old cadet would meet his third cousin, 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth.

— katie jones, Town & Country, "Prince Philip's Tragic Childhood," 24 July 2017
A Sheriff's Office Explorer also recently became a Maryland State Police cadet.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Tyler Dailey becomes first Harford Sheriff's Office cadet," 14 July 2017
Behind closed doors Wednesday and Thursday, the students — some of whom are West Point cadets — will be trying to infiltrate cybersecurity systems.

— christina hall, Detroit Free Press, "Students put cybersecurity skills to the test in cybertruck challenge," 27 June 2017
The military itself drills the importance of civilian control into its ranks, in part by instilling the concept in cadets at all the service’s military academies.

— peter grier, The Christian Science Monitor, "Civilian oversight of military: How Trump is testing its minimum levels," 21 June 2017
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles’ police chief says four more teenage police cadets have been arrested in a widening probe launched after three police cruisers, stun guns and radios were stolen from a police station.

— michael balsamo, The Seattle Times, "4 more Los Angeles youth police cadets arrested in scandal," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cadet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cadet

French, from Gascon capdet chief, from Late Latin capitellum, diminutive of Latin capit-, caput head — more at head

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1610

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cadet Synonyms

Synonyms

pimp [slang], fancy man, pander, procurer

Related Words

mack daddy [slang]; white slaver

CADET Defined for English Language Learners

cadet

noun

Definition of cadet for English Language Learners

: a student at a military school who is preparing to be an officer
: a person who is being trained to be a police officer

CADET Defined for Kids

cadet

noun ca·det \ kə-ˈdet \

Definition of cadet for Students

:a student in a military school or college

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