swabbie
1
9.8
- noun
- /ˈswɑbi/
- Archaic
:
grumete
- The captain praised the young swabbie for his hard work cleaning the ship.
Examples
-
The swabbie quickly scrubbed the deck until it sparkled in the sunlight.
-
How was the old swabbie?
-
You're a swabbie?
-
When the storm hit, the swabbie bravely helped to secure the sails.
Synonyms
308
1.0
A person who works on a ship as a crew member but not an officer
8
5.7
A crew member who does physical work on a ship's deck
4
9.9
An old informal name for a sailor who works on ships
1
9.9
A sailor who cleans the ship, for example the deck
1
6.6
A person or tool that cleans ship decks and floors
A person who works on the deck of a ship
A sailor who works on the main deck of a ship
A sailor who works on a ship
How Senior
77
3.1
- Specialized
10
4.8
- Jargon
1
7.1
78
2.3
- Archaic
1
9.8
- Archaic
4
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Swabbie comes from the word swab, which means a 'mop' or 'to clean' the ship's deck. A swabbie was originally a sailor whose job was to clean and look after the ship, which is why the word means a sailor who cleans or maintains the ship.