primage

A merchant pays the primage to the ship's captain.

Definition

Noun (singular, uncountable in most contexts)

1. Shipping/Commerce: A small additional payment made to the master or owner of a ship, calculated as a percentage of the freight charges or weight of cargo, historically given as a gratuity or compensation for careful handling of goods. This term is largely historical or technical in modern usage.

Usage Examples

• (A supplementary fee to the ship's master.)
• (An extra charge beyond the basic freight cost.)

Advanced Usage

• "primage and average": A historical phrase referring to additional charges (primage) and compensation for damage or loss (average) in maritime shipping.

  • The bill of lading listed both primage and average as separate fees. (The document specified the gratuity and the insurance-like charge.)

• "primage duty": In some historical contexts, a tax or fee levied on imported goods related to this payment.

  • The primage duty was collected by the port authority before the goods could be unloaded. (A specific customs surcharge.)

Variants and Related Words

• Primage (n) — no common variants; the word is not used as an adjective or verb. Related terms:
  • Freight (n): the charge for transporting goods by ship.
  • Average (n): in maritime law, a term for loss or damage to cargo or ship.

Synonyms

• Gratuity: a voluntary payment or gift for service.
  • The primage was a kind of gratuity for the captain's care. (A bonus or tip.)
• Surcharge: an additional charge on top of the standard price.
  • The primage acted as a surcharge on the basic freight rate. (An extra fee.)

Related Idioms

• "primage and primage" (rare): a historical redundancy meaning "extra fees and more extra fees," used in old shipping documents.
  • The contract listed primage and primage, causing confusion among the merchants. (An outdated expression for multiple surcharges.)