half deck

American  

noun

1. (in a sailing ship) the portion of the deck below the upper or spar deck and aft of the mainmast.

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Other Word Forms

• half-decker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of half deck

First recorded in 1620–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

half deck

It's a sight out of a Twain lover's imagined memory: a tiny, homemade Mississippi River raft, buoyant on blue oil-drums, flapping blue canvas greetings from its scanty half deck.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Frank!" shouted Captain Sedley, who was at the helm, while Uncle Ben was gazing at them with a very sorrowful face from the half deck.

From All Aboard; or, Life on the Lake A Sequel to "The Boat Club" by Optic, Oliver

Here they spent seven weeks careening; and, capturing a galley, La Bouce, the second captain, cut her half deck, and mounted her with 24 guns.

From The Monarchs of the Main, Volume III (of 3) Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers by Thornbury, Walter

My own clothes—the clothes which I had worn when I scrambled down the fox's earth—were forward, under the half deck.

From Jim Davis by Masefield, John

The bark had a half deck extending to the main-mast.

From The Story of a Strange Career Being the Autobiography of a Convict; an Authentic Document by Anonymous