English edit

Etymology edit

forecastle +‎ -man

Noun edit

forecastleman (plural forecastlemen)

  1. A crew member whose station is the forecastle, or whose quarters are below it.
    • 1924, Herman Melville, chapter 12, in Billy Budd[1], London: Constable & Co.:
      [] of all the sections of a ship's company, the forecastlemen, veterans for the most part and bigoted in their sea-prejudices, are the most jealous in resenting territorial encroachments []
    • 2003, Oddr Snorrason, translated by Theodore M. Andersson, The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason[2], Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, page 122:
      Then in anger the forecastleman addressed the king: "Give heed to your rank, lord, so that you do not turn tail in defending the poopdeck more than I do in defending the prow."

Further reading edit