Definition of "commodore" [com•mo•dore]

• A commissioned rank formerly used in the U.S. Navy that was above captain and below rear admiral. Abolished in 1899, it was restored temporarily during World War II. (noun)
• One who holds this rank. (noun)
• Used as an unofficial designation for a captain in the British Navy temporarily in command of a fleet division or squadron. (noun)
• The senior captain of a naval squadron or merchant fleet. (noun)
• The presiding officer of a yacht club. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "September, 1855, he had been promoted to the rank of captain, which, prior to the Civil War, was the highest grade in the United States Navy; the title commodore, then so frequently applied to the older officers of the service, being simply one of courtesy given to a captain who had commanded a squadron of several vessels, but who did not thereby cease to be borne as a captain upon the Navy Register."
• "The commodore was a big man, tall and broad-shouldered, and his ex-wife had been fond of telling him that his “aura” frequently preceded him, even through a closed door."
• "Now, Captain, you must call the commodore, or whoever else you feel you must consult about this matter, and see to it that whatever ‘security measures’ are required are put swiftly in place—for I will not linger here another two days while that slander on my crew lies smarting in my mind, and those who committed it sit about congratulating themselves."