deck-hand

A deck-hand scrubs the ship's deck with a long-handled brush.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who works on a ship's deck: "deck-hand" refers to a member of a ship's crew who performs manual labor on the deck, such as cleaning, painting, handling ropes, and assisting with cargo operations.

Usage Examples

• (A crew member responsible for cleaning the deck.)
• (A low-ranking worker on a ship's deck.)
• (A worker who handles ropes and other deck equipment.)

Advanced Usage

• "to work as a deck-hand": to be employed in the role of a deck worker on a vessel.

  • After finishing school, she worked as a deck-hand on a cargo ship for two years. (She was employed in manual deck labor.)

• "deck-hand duties": the tasks assigned to a deck-hand, typically involving maintenance and safety.

  • Deck-hand duties include painting, cleaning, and assisting with navigation. (The specific responsibilities of a deck worker.)

Variants and Related Words

• Deck (n): the floor of a ship.

  • The sailors gathered on the main deck. (The ship's outdoor floor area.)

• Hand (n): a worker or crew member.

  • All hands on deck! (Everyone working on the ship must come to the deck.)

• Deckhand (n): an alternative spelling of "deck-hand".

  • The deckhand tied the rope to the cleat. (Same meaning as deck-hand.)

Synonyms

• Sailor: a person who works on a ship.
• Seaman: a person who is skilled in sailing or working on a ship.
• Crew member: any person who is part of a ship's working team.

Idioms

• "All hands on deck": a call for everyone to come to the deck, often used figuratively to mean everyone is needed for a task.

  • We need all hands on deck to finish this project by Friday. (Everyone must help.)

• "Deck the halls": unrelated but similar in sound; means to decorate for a festive occasion.

  • They deck the halls with boughs of holly. (They decorate.)