leadsman

American  

[ledz-muhn] / ˈlɛdz mən /

noun

plural

leadsmen

1. a sailor who sounds with a lead line.

---

leadsman British  

/ ˈlɛdzmən /

noun

1. nautical a sailor who takes soundings with a lead line

---

Etymology

Origin of leadsman

First recorded in 1500–10; lead ² + 's ¹ + -man

Example Sentences

No leadsman need stand in the bow to take soundings, for the navigator has an acoustic-electric fathometer to tell him, at the press of a button, how much water is beneath the hull.

From Time Magazine Archive

"By the mark thirteen," sang out the leadsman, while almost directly afterwards his companion gave the cry, "And a half six."

From The Quest of the 'Golden Hope' A Seventeenth Century Story of Adventure by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)

Perched upon the rail, a leadsman sounded as rapidly as he could, calling out such depths of water as amazed me, knowing our draught.

From The Log of a Sea-Waif Being Recollections of the First Four Years of My Sea Life by Bullen, Frank T.

The leadsman had found bottom at three fathoms and still Aynsley did not bring her round.

From The Secret of the Reef by Bindloss, Harold

The call of soundings by the leadsman in the channels.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir