sea-duty

2 7.2

Service on a navy ship while the ship is at sea

noun
/siː ˈdjuːti/

Specialized

: servicio naval

During her sea duty aboard the Navy destroyer, she learned valuable skills and formed lasting friendships.
back from sea-duty

Examples

His deployment for sea duty had him stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean.
After six months at sea, he finally returned home from his sea duty.
It's my last day of sea duty, sir.

Midway (2019)
- Have you ever had any sea duty?

The Caine Mutiny (1954)
My first eight years were spent in "the projects" while my father was away on sea duty most of the time.

Academic text (2004)
He's been on sea duty, so I haven't seen him for a couple of months.

Paradise (1991)
After receiving his navy gold flight wings in Pensacola, he served two tours of sea duty.

Academic text (2014)

Synonyms

service abroad

vssea-duty

1 5.2

A military job on a ship while away from your country

is service aboard regardless of country, not only foreign postings

shipboard duty

vssea-duty

Jargon

7.7

Work by military people on a ship while at sea

is naval service contrasted with service on shore

Antonyms

shore duty

Jargon

1 5.5

Work at a navy base on land instead of on a ship

Surface Forms

sea-duty singular

sea-duties plural

Morphology

sea-duty = sea + duty (transparent) = sea + duty

Meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'sea' + 'duty' as a duty performed at sea.

Etymology

Sea-duty combines sea ('the ocean') and duty ('work' or 'a job you must do'), so it is an easy, literal name for the service a sailor performs aboard a ship. So, sea-duty means the work done at sea rather than work on shore.