Definition of "boatswain" []

• A warrant officer or petty officer in charge of a ship's rigging, anchors, cables, and deck crew. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Having completed my inspection of the decks, and satisfied myself that everything was all right, I called the boatswain aft to take temporary charge, and then entered the drawing-room, intending to pass through it to the door of Mrs Vansittart's cabin, to make my report."
• "I thought a moment, and then I called the boatswain's mate to pipe _all hands to bathe_."
• "I called the boatswain's mate to _pipe all hands to bathe_."