Adjacent Words

coxswain definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the helmsman of a ship's boat or a racing crew [syn: coxswain, cox]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English cokswayne, from cok cockboat (a small boat) + swain servant Date: 15th century 1. a sailor who has charge of a ship's boat and its crew and who usually steers 2. a steersman of a racing shell who usually directs the rowers II. verb Date: 1928 transitive verb to direct as coxswain intransitive verb to act as coxswain

U.S. Military Dictionary

A person in charge of a small craft (in the Army, a Class B or smaller craft) who often functions as the helmsman. For a causeway ferry, the pilot is in charge with the coxswain performing helmsman functions. See causeway. (JP 4-01.6)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a person who steers, esp. in a rowing-boat. 2 the senior petty officer in a small ship. --v. 1 intr. act as a coxswain. 2 tr. act as a coxswain of. Derivatives: coxswainship n. Etymology: ME f. cock (see COCKBOAT) + SWAIN: cf. BOATSWAIN

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Coxswain Cox"swain` (k?k"sw?n, Colloq. k?k"s'n), n. See Cockswain.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(coxswains) The coxswain of a lifeboat or other small boat is the person who steers the boat. N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

Gyropilot, automatic pilot, boatheader, boatsteerer, cicerone, conner, courier, cowherd, cox, docking pilot, dragoman, drover, goatherd, guide, guidepost, guider, helmsman, herd, herdsman, mercury, navigator, pilot, pointer, river pilot, sailing master, shepherd, steerer, steersman, tour director, tour guide, wheelman