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cabin boy

American  

noun

  1. a boy employed as a servant for the officers and passengers on a ship.


cabin boy British  

noun

  1. a boy who waits on the officers and passengers of a ship

"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 cabin boy

First recorded in 1720–30


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.

See Examples For:

The researchers have also helped create a facial likeness of David Young, the cabin boy.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

The 1884 death of a cabin boy in a lifeboat was no accident.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025

When the storm that sank the ship surged again, a young cabin boy was left stranded.

From National Geographic ● Aug. 18, 2023

Here you have this man who goes to the Arctic at 18 as a cabin boy for Commander Peary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2022

“A cabin boy in a shipwreck, you say?”

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

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