tide-waiter
Definition
Noun: - Customs officer: A "tide-waiter" is a customs officer who boards and inspects ships arriving in port, especially to prevent smuggling or ensure compliance with regulations. The term historically refers to officers who waited for the tide to bring ships into harbor.
Usage Examples
- (The customs officer inspected the ship upon arrival.)
- (They monitored incoming ships to prevent illegal goods.)
Advanced Usage
"to act as a tide-waiter": to perform the duties of a customs inspector on arriving ships.
- He was appointed to act as a tide-waiter at the port of London. (He served as a customs officer there.)
"tide-waiter's report": an official record of inspection findings.
- The tide-waiter's report noted several discrepancies in the cargo manifest. (The officer documented irregularities.)
Variants and Related Words
Tide (n): the periodic rise and fall of the sea.
- The ship waited for the high tide to enter the harbor. (The natural cycle of water levels.)
Waiter (n): a person who waits or attends to something (archaic usage).
- He was a waiter at the customs house. (An attendant or official.)
Tide-waiting (n): the act or profession of inspecting ships upon arrival.
- Tide-waiting was a common career in maritime nations. (The job of a tide-waiter.)
Synonyms
- Customs inspector: an official who examines goods entering a country.
- Port officer: a person responsible for overseeing port activities.
- Revenue officer: a government agent who collects taxes or duties.
Related Idioms
- "To wait for the tide": to delay action until conditions are favorable.
- The merchant waited for the tide before setting sail. (He waited for the right time.)
Notes
- The word "tide-waiter" is largely historical and rarely used in modern contexts, having been replaced by terms like "customs officer" or "port inspector." It reflects a specific era when customs enforcement relied on boarding ships at sea or at the water's edge.