boatswain

noun

boat·​swain ˈbō-sᵊn How to pronounce boatswain (audio)
variants or bosun or less commonly bos'n or bo's'n or bo'sun
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

Examples of boatswain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The researchers compared the sounds to the boatswain whistle and the tricorder device from Star Trek. — Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024 In a November 2020 post in honor of Veterans Day, the company saluted Violette, who enlisted in the Navy at 19 and became a boatswain’s mate aboard the USS Ranger aircraft carrier supporting troops in Vietnam. — Jeong Park, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bootswein, from boot boat + swein boy, servant — more at swain

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of boatswain was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Boatswain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boatswain. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

boatswain

noun
boat·​swain
variants or bosun also bos'n
ˈbō-sᵊn
: a sailor in the navy or merchant marine responsible for supervising work related to maintenance of the hull

More from Merriam-Webster on boatswain

Nglish: Translation of boatswain for Spanish Speakers

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