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Glite Dictionary
bo's'n

bo's'n

9.9
A ship officer who leads the deck crew and gives them orders
  • noun
  • /ˈboʊzən/
  • Jargon
translation icon : contramaestre
  • A Bo's'n's Mate named Blascovitch got roaring drunk and hammered at the door of the bungalow one night, demanding his appendix back.

Examples

  • The bo's'n organized the deck crew to prepare the ship for departure.

  • The captain praised the bo's'n for efficiently managing the crew during rough weather.

  • Each morning, the bo's'n inspected the equipment and assigned tasks to the sailors.

Synonyms

bosun
vsbo's'n
  • Specialized
6 9.6

A senior crew member on a ship who supervises the deck crew

is the same role named in a different written form
boatswain
vsbo's'n
  • Specialized
5 9.9

A ship officer who looks after equipment and leads the crew that keeps it working

is mainly about supervising deck crew work not equipment maintenance
bo'sun
vsbo's'n
  • UK
1 9.9

A senior crew member on a ship who watches the deck crew and keeps equipment working

focuses on managing the deck crew rather than equipment upkeep
bos'n
vsbo's'n
  • Jargon
9.9

A senior sailor who directs the work of other sailors on a cargo ship

is limited to supervising the deck crew rather than all seamen

Surface Forms

bo's'n singular
bo's'ns plural

Etymology

Bo's'n comes from the older word boatswain, made from boat 'boat' and swain 'servant'. So a bo's'n was originally the 'boat servant' who looked after the ship's deck, which is why today a bo's'n leads and cares for the deck crew.