Noun: petty officer 'pe-tee'ó-fi-su(r)
- A noncommissioned officer in the Navy or Coast Guard with a rank comparable to sergeant in the Army
"The petty officer supervised the maintenance crew";
- PO, P.O.
Derived forms: petty officers
Type of: enlisted officer, noncom [informal], noncommissioned officer
Encyclopedia: Petty officer, 2nd class