quartermaster

• quarter-master, quarter master

From Middle English quartermayster, quartermaistre, equivalent to quarter +‎ master. Perhaps reinforced by and merged with Dutch kwartiermeester, kwartier-meester. Compare German Quartiermeister, French quartier-maître.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈk(w)ɔɹtɚˌmæstɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkwɔːtɚˌmɑːstə/
• Hyphenation: quar‧ter‧mas‧ter

quartermaster (plural quartermasters)

1. (military) An officer whose duty is to provide quarters, provisions, storage, clothing, fuel, stationery, and transportation for a regiment or other body of troops, and superintend the supplies. Master of quartering.
2. (nautical) A petty officer who attends to the helm, binnacle, signals, and the like, under the direction of the master. Once master of the quarterdeck.
3. (scouting) A leadership position within a troop whose responsibility it is to track and maintain the troop's equipment, for example stoves, Dutch ovens, utensils, and tents.

quartermaster (third-person singular simple present quartermasters, present participle quartermastering, simple past and past participle quartermastered)

1. To act as a quartermaster