companionway
Americannoun
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a stair or ladder within the hull of a vessel.
-
the space occupied by this stair or ladder.
noun
Etymology
Origin of companionway
First recorded in 1830–40; companion 2 + way 1
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.
With a tether connecting her to the 30-foot sailboat, she crouched down in the entrance to the companionway and stayed out of harm’s way while her father trimmed the sail.
From Seattle Times • May 28, 2021
One wave smashed through his companionway, flooded the boat, fried his electronics and sparked a small fire.
From Washington Post • Sep. 24, 2018
Broad-shouldered anglers may find the companionway narrow, but the trade-off is a bigger master cabin with en suite head to port.
From Time Magazine Archive
Those standing around the boats were either swept overboard or trapped between the two decks; those of us who were still on our feet struggled up the companionway and down on to the port deck.
From Time Magazine Archive
Once they were on, she had to go out on deck, and a minute later she opened the door at the top of the companionway and stepped out.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
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.
