deckhand

noun

deck·​hand ˈdek-ˌhand How to pronounce deckhand (audio)
: a sailor who performs manual duties

Examples of deckhand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web According to Kraft the average charter deckhand is more educated than ever about how to best care for fish while at sea. Tom Fowlks, Outdoor Life, 1 Feb. 2024 As soon as a fish hits the deck (gently, so as not to bruise the meat) a deckhand dispatches it with a spike to the brain or spinal cord, which kills the fish quickly and reduces thrashing, which can stress the meat. Tom Fowlks, Outdoor Life, 1 Feb. 2024 But the Wei Yu 18’s foreman told Fadhil that he was required to stay for two years, according to two other deckhands. Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023 Chinese officers regularly beat Indonesian deckhands for mistakes, slights or slowness, Reyes said. Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023 The deckhands then tossed it into plastic baskets for sorting. Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023 On several occasions, the deckhands quickly wrote their replies, often providing phone numbers for family back home, and then tossed the bottles back into the water. Ian Urbina, TIME, 26 Oct. 2023 The deckhands are constantly polishing, rubbing, squeegeeing. William Booth, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2023 After the crash, the tow boat operator sounded the alarm and deckhands put a boat into the water to help White and his son, officials said in a news release. Tanasia Kenney The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deckhand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deckhand was in 1844

Dictionary Entries Near deckhand

Cite this Entry

“Deckhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deckhand. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deckhand

noun
deck·​hand ˈdek-ˌhand How to pronounce deckhand (audio)
: a sailor who performs manual duties

More from Merriam-Webster on deckhand

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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