drogher

A drogher carries cargo along the coast.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of cargo vessel: "drogher" refers to a small ship or boat used for transporting goods, especially along coastal routes.
   • Historical usage: In the Caribbean (specifically the Antilles), a "drogher" was a coastal trading vessel that carried merchandise between islands or between ports on the same island.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The drogher carried a load of sugar from the plantation to the port. (A small coastal cargo ship transporting goods.)
  • Fishermen often used a drogher to deliver their catch to nearby markets. (A boat used for short-distance trade.)

Advanced Usage

• "To sail a drogher": to operate or navigate such a vessel.

  • He learned to sail a drogher along the rocky coast. (He gained experience piloting a small cargo ship.)

• "Drogher trade": the commerce carried out by these vessels.

  • The drogher trade was vital for island economies before modern shipping. (The coastal trading system.)

Variants and Related Words

• Drogherman (n): a person who works on or owns a drogher.

  • The drogherman loaded the barrels of rum onto the deck. (The crew member of a coastal cargo ship.)

• Drogher-style (adj): resembling or characteristic of a drogher.

  • The museum displayed a droguer-style model of a 19th-century schooner. (A replica in the design of a coastal trader.)

Synonyms

• Coaster: a ship that travels along a coast.
• Lighter: a flat-bottomed boat used for loading and unloading cargo.
• Barge: a long, flat-bottomed vessel for transporting goods.

Phrasal Verbs

• To drogue (a boat): to slow a vessel by towing a drogue (a sea anchor); this is a distinct but related term.
  • The captain ordered the crew to drogue the ship during the storm. (Deploy a sea anchor to reduce speed.)

Related Idioms

• "As slow as a drogher": meaning very slow, often used humorously.
  • This old truck is as slow as a drogher. (Extremely slow.)