belowdecks

[ bih-loh-deks ]

adverb

, Nautical.

1. within the hull of a vessel:

   Fire raged belowdecks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of belowdecks¹

below + deck + -s ¹

Example Sentences

Under the cover of night, the young woman boarded the ship and was given a place belowdecks by a friendly captain named John Bowles.

From Literature

But the nightmare was just beginning for him and the other kidnapped Africans forced belowdecks.

From Literature

There was even a TV ad featuring a solo trans-Atlantic sailor named Ken Clift who, in a raging storm, goes belowdecks to sip coffee from a globe mug.

From Washington Post

How and Bakewell waded through the icy water that flooded the belowdecks cabins and brought out an important treasure from the darkroom: Frank Hurley’s box of glass photographic plates.

From Literature

A few weeks ago, Hazel wouldn’t have believed that anyone could sleep through a numina attack, but now she imagined her friends were still snoring away belowdecks.

From Literature