Meaning

noun any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal

noun a lawman with the rank of sergeant

noun an English barrister of the highest rank

originFrom Middle English sergeant, sergeaunt, serjent, serjaunt, serjawnt, sergant, from Old French sergeant, sergent, serjant, sergient, sergant (“sergeant, servant”), from Medieval Latin servientem, accusative of serviēns (“a servant, vassal, soldier, apparitor”), from Latin serviēns (“serving”), present participle of serviō (“serve, be a slave to”). Doublet of servant and servient. The shift from…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0