deck hand
Americannoun
noun
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a seaman assigned various duties, such as mooring and cargo handling, on the deck of a ship
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(in Britain) a seaman over 17 years of age who has seen sea duty for at least one year
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a helper aboard a yacht
Etymology
Origin of deck hand
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
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.
He works as a deck hand, helping to load coal onto river barges.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025
The deck hand went onto the deck to close the yacht's windows.
From BBC • May 14, 2025
Huynh was hired as a deck hand but served as the vessel’s de facto captain, Dysart said.
From Washington Times • Apr. 6, 2018
For a couple of years in the 1960s, he worked as a deck hand on the state ferries.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2018
The deck hand, with his $150,000, had the largest amount of gold of any one in the crowd.
From All about the Klondyke gold mines by Knox, J. Armoy
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.
