deck hand
Americannoun
noun
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a seaman assigned various duties, such as mooring and cargo handling, on the deck of a ship
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(in Britain) a seaman over 17 years of age who has seen sea duty for at least one year
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a helper aboard a yacht
Etymology
Origin of deck hand
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He works as a deck hand, helping to load coal onto river barges.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025
The deck hand went onto the deck to close the yacht's windows.
From BBC • May 14, 2025
A nine-year veteran deck hand for Washington State Ferries, she was a favorite of her colleagues for her smile and her kind demeanor.
From Seattle Times • May 12, 2022
Two bags, filled with six cans of Planters mixed nuts and seven boxes of K-Cup coffee, were quickly tied on by the Westcott’s deck hand and hoisted aboard the freighter.
From New York Times • Aug. 20, 2016
September 15, 1867, I saved a colored man who was a deck hand on the propeller Meteor.
From The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 by Jacquemart, Jules-Ferdinand
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.
