supercargo

American  

[soo-per-kahr-goh, soo-per-kahr-] / ˌsu pərˈkɑr goʊ, ˈsu pərˌkɑr- /

noun

plural

supercargoes, supercargos

1. a merchant-ship officer who is in charge of the cargo and the commercial concerns of the voyage.

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supercargo British  

/ ˌsuːpəˈkɑːɡəʊ /

noun

1. an officer on a merchant ship who supervises commercial matters and is in charge of the cargo

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Etymology

Origin of supercargo

1690–1700; < Spanish sobrecargo, with sobre- over (< Latin super ) Latinized; replacing supracargo (with supra- for Spanish sobre- ); see cargo

Example Sentences

All winter, liners have been steaming out of the U.S. with boatloads of bridge buffs � two of them featuring Charles Goren as supercargo.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ebenezer Townsend, supercargo of a New England whaler, noted in his diary on Aug. 19, 1798 that Hawaii's King Kamehameha I, had "a Jew cook."

From Time Magazine Archive

Two of the happiest years of his life were spent just after the War as the non-working "supercargo" of Shipping Board tramp steamers.

From Time Magazine Archive

Instead of proverbial rollicking freedom, rhythmic sea-chanteys, rough cammeraderie of the sea, Blettsworthy, supercargo, found ship's quarters confining, and ship's officers hostile.

From Time Magazine Archive

As there is no motive for concealment, I am permitted to use them, and accordingly send you a rescript, simply omitting technical details of seamanship and supercargo.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker