Adjacent Words

Boatswain definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BOATSWAIN, n. In seamen's language, bosn.
An officer on board of ships, who has charge of the boats,sails, rigging, colors, anchors, cables and cordage. His office is also, to summon the crew to their duty. to relieve the watch, assist in the necessary business of the ship, seize and punish offenders, etc. He has a mate who has charge of the long-boat, for setting forth and weighing anchors, warping, towing and mooring.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen [syn: boatswain, bos'n, bo's'n, bosun, bo'sun]

Merriam Webster's

or bosun; also bos'n or bo's'n or bo'sun noun Etymology: Middle English bootswein, from boot boat + swein boy, servant — more at swain Date: 14th century 1. a petty officer on a merchant ship having charge of hull maintenance and related work 2. a naval warrant officer in charge of the hull and all related equipment

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (also bo'sun, bosun, bo's'n) a ship's officer in charge of equipment and the crew. Phrases and idioms: boatswain's chair a seat suspended from ropes for work on the side of a ship or building. Etymology: OE batswegen (as BOAT, SWAIN)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Jager Ja"ger, n. [G. j["a]ger a hunter, a sportsman. Cf. Yager.] [Written also jaeger.] 1. (Mil.) A sharpshooter. See Yager. 2. (Zo["o]l.) Any species of gull of the genus Stercorarius. Three species occur on the Atlantic coast. The jagers pursue other species of gulls and force them to disgorge their prey. The two middle tail feathers are usually decidedly longer than the rest. Called also boatswain, and marline-spike bird. The name is also applied to the skua, or Arctic gull (Megalestris skua).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Skua Sku"a, n. [Icel. sk?fr, sk?mr.] (Zo["o]l.) Any jager gull; especially, the Megalestris skua; -- called also boatswain.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tropic Trop"ic, a. Of or pertaining to the tropics; tropical. Tropic bird (Zo["o]l.), any one of three species of oceanic belonging to the genus Pha["e]thon, found chiefly in tropical seas. They are mostly white, and have two central tail feathers very long and slender. The yellow-billed tropic bird. Pha["e]thon flavirostris (called also boatswain), is found on the Atlantic coast of America, and is common at the Bermudas, where it breeds.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Boatswain Boat"swain, n. [Boat + swain.] 1. (Naut.) An officer who has charge of the boats, sails, rigging, colors, anchors, cables, cordage, etc., of a ship, and who also summons the crew, and performs other duties. 2. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The jager gull. (b) The tropic bird. Boatswain's mate, an assistant of the boatswain. --Totten.

Moby Thesaurus

Big Brother, OD, auditor, boss, captain, chief, chief engineer, chief mate, commander, comptroller, controller, deck officer, floor manager, floorman, floorwalker, foreman, gaffer, ganger, head, headman, inspector, master, mate, monitor, naval officer, navigating officer, navigator, noncommissioned officer, overman, overseer, patron, pipes, proctor, quartermaster, sailing master, second mate, shipmaster, sirdar, skipper, slave driver, straw boss, subforeman, super, superintendent, supervisor, surveyor, taskmaster, the Old Man, visitor, watch officer