A matross was a soldier of artillery, who ranked next below a
gunner.
The duty of a matross was to assist the gunners in loading, firing and sponging the guns. They were provided with
firelocks, and marched with th
store-wagons acting as guards. In the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
, a matross ranked as a
private of
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieg ...
.
The word is probably derived from
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
''matelot'', a
sailor
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the ...
. The OED states that the word is borrowed from the
Dutch ''Matroos'' ('a sailor of the lowest rank'), and is cognate with similar terms in German, Danish and Swedish.
Matross
at Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
References
Military ranks
Artillery speciality
{{mil-rank-stub