Lieutenant

Lieutenant, one holding the place of another, an officer holding a secondary position, e.g. in the army, a lieutenant-general, or an officer next in rank to a general; in civil life, a lieutenant-governor or an officer next in rank to a governor. The term lieutenant is more specially applied without qualification to certain officers of the army and navy: in the army, to a subaltern officer in rank next below a captain, and equal in rank to a sub-lieutenant in the navy: in the navy, to an officer next in rank below a commander, and equal in rank to a captain, or (if of eight years' seniority) to a major, in the army. In the navy, a lieutenant is third in command of a battleship, second in command of a corvette or sloop, and, as a rule, the commanding officer of any smaller craft. [Flag Lieutenant.] Ships in the navy carry from one to six lieutenants, or even more; and in all large ships are lieutenants specially qualified for gunnery and torpedo work, while, unless there be a commander for navigating duties, there is also a lieutenant specially appointed for navigation.