boatswain

Meanings

1. A person aboard ship who is in charge of various maritime affairs.
2. The officer (or warrant officer) in charge of sails, rigging, anchors, cables etc. and all work on deck of a sailing ship.
3. The petty officer of a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen.
4. A kind of gull, the jaeger.
5. The tropicbird.

Etymology

From Middle English botswain, botswein, bote-swayn, from late Old English bātsweġen, from bāt (“boat”) + sweġen (“swain”), the latter element a borrowing from Old Norse sveinn (“boy”); equivalent to boat + swain (“boy, servant”).