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first mate

American

noun

the officer of a merchant vessel next in command beneath the captain.

first mate British

noun

Also called: first officer. an officer second in command to the captain of a merchant 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

Example Sentences

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first mate

In September, French authorities boarded the vessel, which claimed to be flagged in Benin, briefly detaining its captain and first mate.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

She lists the many infractions the first mate committed and defies any among them to countermand her husband’s orders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025

At dusk on the second day, about 75 Rongelapese crowded the decks and cabins of the ship, many of them huddling under a tarp the ship’s first mate, Martini Gotjé, had strung up.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025

As captain and first mate, they say piloting their 75-foot schooner has only strengthened their brotherly bond, with their small expedition team serving as an adoptive family.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2024

Tristran was given a berth with Oddness, the first mate, a quiet gentleman with large wings and a bad stammer, while Yvaine berthed in Meggot's cabin, and Meggot herself moved into a hammock.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023