boatswain
Americannoun
noun
Pronunciation
The spelling pronunciation is almost never used.
Etymology
Origin of boatswain
First recorded in 1400–50, boatswain is from the late Middle English word bote-swayn. See boat, swain
Explanation
A boatswain is a petty officer on a ship. The boatswain supervises the crew. A swain was someone who attended to the needs of a medieval knight. Similarly, a boatswain attends to the needs of a boat by being in charge of the crew and making sure they get work done. The captain is in charge of the boat, but the boatswain is in charge of work done on the boat, just as the cook is in charge of the kitchen. The boatswain is also responsible for equipment on the boat.
Vocabulary lists containing boatswain
The Tempest
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Revolver
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"The Tempest," Vocabulary from Acts 1 and 2
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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.
A boatswain on a merchant ship, who supervises the deck’s seamen and manages equipment like ropes and cables, can earn nearly $5,200 a month.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
In the first scene of “The Tempest,” facing the ruckus of the sailors while a storm ravages the boat, the boatswain groans, “A plague upon this howling!”
From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2020
I was going in for him, but the boatswain said, “Stay where you are – you can’t do anything for him.”
From The Guardian • Aug. 16, 2019
They’ve let go of lazy deckhands, stews who lied on their resumes, a conceited boatswain who couldn’t manage his team and a chef whose bland entrees never impressed the guests.
From Washington Post • Jun. 12, 2019
The boatswain, unmanned for the first time, respectfully dried his eyes on the Jack, and then cheering up, and addressing Mr. Wopsle as Your Honour, solicited permission to take him by the fin.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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.
