boatswain's chair

Save This Word!

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.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of boatswain's chair

First recorded in 1875–80

Words nearby boatswain's chair

boatslip, boatsman, boatsmanship, boatswain, boatswain bird, boatswain's chair, boatswain's pipe, boat tail, boat-tailed grackle, boat train, boatwright

How to use boatswain's chair in a sentence

While 19 percent of the House is female, just one woman will get to chair one of its 20 committees.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“A guy drives up in a 2008 Mercedes, brand new,” Harry S. Connelly Jr. says in the video, according to the Times.
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?|Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Personal hotspots can get speeds of up to 60 Mb/s down, whereas hotel Wi-Fi can be as slow as 1.5 Mb/s,” Sesar said.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In our headlong quest for a legally perfect society, we don’t take the time to take stock of what‘s been created so far.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

She added: “NBC News is proud to have David in the important anchor chair of ‘Meet the Press.’ ”
David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in Washingtonian Takedown|Lloyd Grove|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It ended on a complaint that she was 'tired rather and spending my time at full length on a deck-chair in the garden.'
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
With a suffocating gasp, she fell back into the chair on which she sat, and covered her face with her hands.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
The president sat in a chair which came over with the pilgrims in their ship, the Mayflower.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
She was holding the back of her chair with one hand; her loose sleeve had slipped almost to the shoulder of her uplifted arm.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
He noticed at the same time several burnt matches between his cushions and her chair.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

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