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
Caitlin MacGregor, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
When Paris hosted the Games in 1900, a pair of Dutch rowers asked a French boy to be their coxswain.
—Jenna West, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Cecile Richards, Glamour, 11 May 2018
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Noun
Throughout the race, the coxswain—who sits at the front of the boat—motivates the crew, steers the course and checks technique along the way.
—Caitlin MacGregor, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
When Paris hosted the Games in 1900, a pair of Dutch rowers asked a French boy to be their coxswain.
—Jenna West, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
Verb
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 25 May. 2025.
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