Admiral

Admiral (Arabic, amir al, “lord of the”), in common usage, a naval officer of the highest rank, also referred to as a flag officer. A system of gradations in the rank of admiral prevails in all major navies of the world. In the British navy, except for the substitution of the title Admiral of the Fleet for that of Fleet Admiral, the grades are identical to those of the United States Navy. Admiral ranks with a general in the army. Rank insignia for British and American admirals are a broad gold stripe around the lower sleeve with one or more narrower stripes above it. Horatio Nelson was Britain's best-known admiral, who defeated the French and Spanish at Trafalgar in 1805, establishing Britain's domination of the seas for the rest of the century.