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dockworker

American  
[dok-wur-ker] / ˈdɒkˌwɜr kər /

noun

  1. a person employed on the docks of a port, as in loading and unloading vessels.

Etymology

Origin of dockworker

First recorded in 1920–25; dock 1 + worker

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.

"Do they even have the mandate? They are an interim government," said Iliyas Bhuiyan, 56, another dockworker.

From Barron's • Nov. 1, 2025

Importers and exporters have turned away from Montreal after several dockworker strikes caused cargo delays and backups.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

A dockworker shortage at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach ended Friday night after halting cargo traffic at the complex.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2023

But then a dockworker notices the old chassis.

From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2022

He looked like a dockworker, or a boy setting sail on his first adventure.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

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.