colonelcy

colonelcy

English

WOTD – 9 September 2018

Etymology

The rank insignia of a colonel in the British Army

colonel +‎ -cy.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɜːnəlsi/, [ˈkʰəːnl̩si]
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɜɹnəlsi/, [ˈkʰɚnl̩si]

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: colo‧nel‧cy

Noun

colonelcy (plural colonelcies)

1. (military) The rank or office of a colonel.

   Synonym: colonelship

   • 1776 July 29, George Washington, “To the Board of War and Ordnance”, in John C[lement] Fitzpatrick, editor, The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745–1799: […], volume 5 (May, 1776 – August, 1776), Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, published April 1932, OCLC 15863642, page 350:

     [U]nless Lieut Colonel Tyler [John Tyler Sr.] was provided for, The Major, Prentice [Samuel Prentiss II] advanced to a Lieut:Colonelcy in some other Regiment, and his eldest Captain ([James] Chapman) not deprived of his expectation of the Majority; his coming in there would give uneasiness, but nevertheless if it was the pleasure of Congress to make the appointment, he would do every thing in his power to make it palatible.

   • 1800, “Field-Marshall Baron de Loudon, Grand Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa, Aulic Counsellor of War, &c”, in The Annual Necrology, for 1797–8; […], volume I, London: Printed for R[ichard] Phillips, […] by T[homas] Bensley, […], OCLC 876879055, page 70:

     In the campaign of 1760, the general [De Soltikow], who had juſt obtained the colonelcy of the regiment of Wolfenbuttle, aſſembled a body of troops near Konimſthau; as the enemy did not enter Bohemia, as was expected, he repaired to the frontiers of Sileſia, failed in an attempt to ſurpriſe Neuſtadt, but actually cut off the Pruſſian regiment of Mantpeefel.

   • 1903, Franklin Bowditch Dexter, “Sketches, Class of 1766”, in Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College with Annals of the College History, volume III (May, 1763 – July, 1778), New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Company, OCLC 257374928, page 178:

     At the close of this year (1776) he [John Chester] was recommended for a colonelcy in the new Continental Army, but on account of the condition of his personal affairs he declined the appointment and retired to private life, to the great regret, particularly, of General [George] Washington.

   • 2011, Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey, season 2, episode 1, 26:03 from the start:

     Did I tell you I've been given a colonelcy in the North Riding Volunteers?

   • 2014, William C[harles] Davis, “‘What has Become of Gen. Lee?’—‘Who is General Grant?’”, in Crucible of Command: Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee: The War They Fought, the Peace They Forged, Boston, Mass.: Da Capo Press, →ISBN, page 128:

     Meanwhile, he witnessed the mad log-rolling for colonelcies. "I was perfectly sickened at the political wire pulling for all these commissions," he [Ulysses S. Grant] told Jesse [Root Grant]. Of the first six colonels [Governor of Illinois, Richard] Yates appointed, not one had any experience, and only one was a West Pointer.

Coordinate terms

• admiralcy
• admiralship
• captaincy
• captainship
• corporalship
• generalcy
• generalship
• lieutenancy
• lieutenantship
• majorship
• sergeantcy
• sergeantship

 

Related terms

• colonel
• Colonel Blimp
• colonels' coup

Translations

rank or office of a colonel

Further reading

• colonel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia