Dictionary.com
definitions

boatswain's chair

noun

a seat composed of a plank suspended in a horizontal position from ropes, used by painters and other persons who work on the exteriors of buildings, ships, etc., while seated at a considerable height.

RELATED CONTENT

Musical Chairs: What Janet Yellen’s New Title Really MeansWhen Janet Yellen was confirmed as leader of the Federal Reserve Board, she changed the title of her position from chairman to chair. Though this shocked the media, who were both elated and censorious, the term chair has been used in this sense for a very long time. Since the 1650s, chair has referred to “the person occupying a seat of office.” Around the same …
READ MORE
What’s The #’s Real Name?How do we currently use the # symbol? On Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, you tag your friends with the @ symbol and you tag topics with the #. If you see something that says “#WordoftheDay,” the tweet or post has something to do with Word of the Day. And, once you click on that marked topic, you’ll likely see all public posts about it. It’s a …
READ MORE

Nearby words

  1. boatslip,
  2. boatsman,
  3. boatsmanship,
  4. boatswain,
  5. boatswain bird,
  6. boatswain's pipe,
  7. boatwright,
  8. boatyard,
  9. boaz,
  10. bob

Origin of boatswain's chair

First recorded in 1875–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for boatswain's chair

boatswain's chair

noun

nautical a seat consisting of a short flat board slung from ropes, used to support a person working on the side of a vessel or in its rigging
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