stevedore

1 of 2

noun

ste·​ve·​dore ˈstē-və-ˌdȯr 

also ˈstēv-ˌdȯr

: one who works at or is responsible for loading and unloading ships in port

stevedore

2 of 2

verb

stevedored; stevedoring

transitive verb

: to handle (cargo) as a stevedore

also : to load or unload the cargo of (a ship) in port

intransitive verb

: to work as a stevedore

Synonyms of stevedore

Noun

• longshoreman
• dockworker

Examples of stevedore in a Sentence

Noun

on the wharves, stevedores were unloading cargo from the far corners of the world

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

His father, Ryozo, a sumo wrestler from Fukuoka Prefecture, became a stevedore and owner of a dry cleaning shop in Hawaii. —ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026

Calder’s handshake was that of a stevedore, which is to say the man had the grip of a sculptor who could work metal and wood with power and dexterity. —Nicholas Fox Weber, Air Mail, 18 Apr. 2026

But then what’s with all the stevedores from central casting? —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025

As part of these reforms, the Royal Navy impounded dozens of merchant vessels for allegedly evading customs duties, enraging merchants as well as mariners, shipwrights, stevedores, and others in port cities whose livelihoods depended on foreign commerce. —Time, 9 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Spanish estibador, from estibar to pack — more at steeve

First Known Use

Noun

1788, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1862, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing stevedore

• stevedore knot

Rhymes for stevedore

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore

Kids Definition

stevedore

noun

ste·​ve·​dore

ˈstēv(-ə)-ˌdō(ə)r, 

-ˌdȯ(ə)r

: a person who loads and unloads boats in port

Etymology

Noun

from Spanish estibador "stevedore," from estibar "to pack"