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
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
The boatswain and a mate trained a fire hose on the plate, and the mud came down in curtains.
—Robert Kunzig, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
It’s named after the bosun or boatswain which is a senior position on a ship’s crew.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 July 2023
Frangiosa joined the Navy at 19, becoming an aviation boatswain’s mate and spent his four-year Navy career on the aircraft carrier Roosevelt.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023
Periodically, a boatswain blew a chilling whistle, and crewmen stumbled from ale shops, parting from old or new sweethearts, hurrying to their departing ships in order to avoid their officers’ lashes.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Today, McDaniel serves as an aviation boatswain’s mate, launching aircraft from the deck of the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2023
In May 2021, Hannah Crisostomo, an aviation boatswain’s mate handler on the George Washington, attempted suicide on the heels of her first anniversary with the Navy.
—Melissa Chan, NBC News, 19 May 2022
That spring, Crisostomo, an aviation boatswain’s mate handler on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, had been moved to night-shift repair duties.
—Melissa Chan, NBC News, 28 Apr. 2022
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Jeong Park, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2023
The boatswain and a mate trained a fire hose on the plate, and the mud came down in curtains.
—Robert Kunzig, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
It’s named after the bosun or boatswain which is a senior position on a ship’s crew.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 July 2023
Frangiosa joined the Navy at 19, becoming an aviation boatswain’s mate and spent his four-year Navy career on the aircraft carrier Roosevelt.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023
Periodically, a boatswain blew a chilling whistle, and crewmen stumbled from ale shops, parting from old or new sweethearts, hurrying to their departing ships in order to avoid their officers’ lashes.
—David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023
Today, McDaniel serves as an aviation boatswain’s mate, launching aircraft from the deck of the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2023
In May 2021, Hannah Crisostomo, an aviation boatswain’s mate handler on the George Washington, attempted suicide on the heels of her first anniversary with the Navy.
—Melissa Chan, NBC News, 19 May 2022
That spring, Crisostomo, an aviation boatswain’s mate handler on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, had been moved to night-shift repair duties.
—Melissa Chan, NBC News, 28 Apr. 2022
Articles Related to boatswain
Dictionary Entries Near boatswain
Cite this Entry
“Boatswain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boatswain. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share