Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

deck hand

American  

noun

  1. Nautical. a sailor whose duties are performed on deck.

deck hand British  

noun

  1. a seaman assigned various duties, such as mooring and cargo handling, on the deck of a ship

  2. (in Britain) a seaman over 17 years of age who has seen sea duty for at least one year

  3. a helper aboard a yacht

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of deck hand

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.