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boatswain

6 ENTRIES FOUND:

boat·swain

noun \ˈbō-sən\

Definition of BOATSWAIN

1
: a petty officer on a merchant ship having charge of hull maintenance and related work
2
: a naval warrant officer in charge of the hull and all related equipment

Variants of BOATSWAIN

boat·swain or bosun also bos'n or bo's'n or bo'sun \ˈbō-sən\

Origin of BOATSWAIN

Middle English bootswein, from boot boat + swein boy, servant — more at swain
First Known Use: 14th century

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