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supercargo

[soo-per-kahr-goh, soo-per-kahr-]
noun, plural su·per·car·goes, su·per·car·gos.
  1. a merchant-ship officer who is in charge of the cargo and the commercial concerns of the voyage.
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Origin of supercargo

1690–1700; < Spanish sobrecargo, with sobre- over (< Latin super) Latinized; replacing supracargo (with supra- for Spanish sobre-); see cargo
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for supercargo

Historical Examples

  • Our supercargo, a young gentleman of the name of Croes, came near dying.

    Ned Myers

    James Fenimore Cooper

  • "They've swum ashore in the night, Pack," said the supercargo to Packenham.

  • The supercargo rose from his seat with a smile of satisfaction.

    Tessa

    Louis Becke

  • But the captain and supercargo are a pair of unmitigated scoundrels.

    Tessa

    Louis Becke

  • The supercargo and Hendry went up on the bridge together, where they could talk freely.

    Tessa

    Louis Becke

British Dictionary definitions for supercargo

supercargo

noun plural -goes
  1. an officer on a merchant ship who supervises commercial matters and is in charge of the cargo
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Word Origin

C17: changed from Spanish sobrecargo, from sobre over (from Latin super) + cargo cargo
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