COMMODORE, a general officer in the British
marine, invested with the command of a detachment of
ships of war destined on any particular enterprise,
during which time he bears the rank of brigadier-
general in the army, and is distinguished from the in-
ferior ships of his squadron by a broad red pendant
tapering towards the outer end, and sometimes fork-
ed. The word is corrupted from the Spanish, comen-
dador.
COMMORER is also a name given to some select ship
in a fleet of merchantmen, who leads the van in time
of war, and carries a light in his top to conduct the rest,
and keep them together. He is always the oldest cap-
tain in the fleet he commands.