[WARD sb.2]
1. The mess-cabin of naval commissioned officers above the rank of sub-lieutenant; hence, the commissioned officers as a body.
1801. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1846), VII. p. ccxxx*. The Wardrooms will prate, I believe, none of us can doubt.
1815. Falconer’s Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), Ward-room, in ships of war, a room over the gun-room, where the lieutenants, and other principal officers, sleep and mess.
1850. H. Melville, White Jacket, I. vi. 35. In a [U.S.] frigate it comprises the after part of the berth-deck. Sometimes it goes by the name of the Gun-room, but oftener is called the Ward-room.
1902. Carlyon Bellairs, in Monthly Rev., Aug., 103. The engineer is received into the ward-room on his own merits.
2. A military GUARD-ROOM.
1853. G. P. R. James, Agnes Sorel, II. iv. 53. A page ran into the ward-room of the gate-tower.
1902. R. Barr, in Lond. Mag., VIII. 444/2. Closing the ward-room door behind him he then shut the gate, thrusting the bolts into their places.
3. A room or hall used for the meetings of a city ward. U.S. rare.
1895. Funk’s Stand. Dict.
1913. Webster.
4. attrib., as ward-room mess, officer, rank.
1887. Gunter, Mr. Barnes, xix. 138. Danella was soon en rapport with the *ward-room messes of half the British squadron.
1850. H. Melville, White Jacket, I. vi. 36. Besides the First Lieutenant, the *Ward-room officers include the junior lieutenants, in a [U.S.] frigate six or seven in number, the Sailing-master [etc.].
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Ward-room officers, those who mess in the ward-room, namely: the commander, lieutenants, master, chaplain, surgeon, paymaster, marine-officers, and assistant-surgeons.
1850. Huxley, in L. Huxley, Life (1900), I. iv. 46. He is a great advocate for the claims of assistant surgeons to *ward-room rank.
