1
: a sailor who has charge of a ship's boat and its crew and who usually steers
2
: a steersman of a racing shell who usually directs the rowers
coxswained; coxswaining; coxswains
: to direct as coxswain
: to act as coxswain
Examples of coxswain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
In the 2,000-meter 8+ race, Kate and Gabby shared the boat with a total of eight rowers plus a coxswain who steers the boat and sets the cadence.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 5 June 2025
Watching her granddaughter Hannah pitch through a tough inning of softball or her granddaughter Lily coxswain for the rowing team was a marvel.
—Cecile Richards, Glamour, 11 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for coxswain
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Noun
Written by Lin, Crew Girl is described as a frothy, coming-of-age teen drama about a 16-year-old female rower Teagan (Miku Martineau) who becomes the coxswain of a dysfunctional all-boys rowing team at an elite East Coast Prep School.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
In the 2,000-meter 8+ race, Kate and Gabby shared the boat with a total of eight rowers plus a coxswain who steers the boat and sets the cadence.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
Rowing Blazers was created by author, archaeologist and former U.S. national team coxswain Jack Carlson in 2017.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 5 June 2025
Watching her granddaughter Hannah pitch through a tough inning of softball or her granddaughter Lily coxswain for the rowing team was a marvel.
—Cecile Richards, Glamour, 11 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for coxswain
Cite this Entry
“Coxswain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coxswain. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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