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Synonyms

crow's-nest

American  
[krohz-nest] / ˈkroʊzˌnɛst /
Or crow's nest

noun

  1. Nautical. a platform or shelter for a lookout at or near the top of a mast.

  2. any similar platform raised high above the ground, as a lookout or a station for a traffic officer.

crow's-nest British  

noun

  1. a lookout platform high up on a ship's mast

"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 crow's-nest

First recorded in 1595–1605

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.

The other end includes an amphitheater and a water system; a crow’s-nest echoes the seaport surroundings.

From New York Times • Apr. 14, 2011

The transparent topsail shows the silhouette of a combined crow's-nest and Holy Grail.

From Time Magazine Archive

There the barrel man, high in the crow's-nest, spots the whitecoats.

From Time Magazine Archive

Israeli soldiers man the crow's-nest continually, logging every movement on the other side.

From Time Magazine Archive

Feeling like a rat in a trap, Worsley looked for leads from the crow’s-nest and signaled the course to the man on the bridge.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

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.