second lieutenant

an Army, Air Force, or Marine officer of the lowest commissioned rank. Compare ensign(def 4).

Origin of second lieutenant

First recorded in 1695–1705

The second-lieutenant, whose name was Price, was a good-looking young man, who kept his watch and read Shakespeare.

The King's Own |Captain Frederick Marryat
Since dead, sir,” replied the second-lieutenant; “we have lost a pleasant messmate.

The King's Own |Captain Frederick Marryat
When they reached their goal, Second-Lieutenant Strong found he was that no longer.

Tom Strong, Lincoln's Scout |Alfred Bishop Mason
Then we dined, sharing the food—Thompson's food—with the second-lieutenant.

Our Casualty And Other Stories |James Owen Hannay, AKA George A. Birmingham

The only officer remaining to strike her flag had been her second-lieutenant.

The Story of John Paul Jones |Chelsea Curtis Fraser

second lieutenant

an officer holding the lowest commissioned rank in the armed forces of certain nations