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Synonyms

helmsman

American  
[helmz-muhn] / ˈhɛlmz mən /

noun

plural

helmsmen

  1. a person who steers a ship; helmsperson.

helmsman British  
/ ˈhɛlmzmən /

noun

  1. the person at the helm who steers the ship; steersman

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of helmsman

First recorded in 1615–25; helm 1 + 's 1 + -man

Vocabulary lists containing helmsman

Novel Study: Refugee, Pages 171–338

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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.

Thucydides was partial to naturalistic explanation and, no stranger to eclipses himself, might well have offered Pericles’ nervous helmsman a cloak.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

After the waves struck, one of the crew fell into the helmsman causing injury and the boat had to abort its rescue attempt.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025

But Burling, the two-time reigning America’s Cup champion helmsman, got caught in traffic in the 10-boat fleet and copped a penalty for not keeping clear of Emirates Great Britain.

From Washington Times • Oct. 15, 2023

Jean-Luc Picard's Enterprise had a Black helmsman and a half-Klingon played by a Black actor; Captain Janeway's crew on the U.S.S.

From Salon • Jun. 23, 2023

The helmsman stared at the compass; his knuckles whitened on the wheel.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

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.