lower deck

[ loh-er ]

noun

, Nautical.

1. the lowermost deck in a hull having two or three decks.
2. the deck next above the lowermost, or orlop, deck in a hull having four or more decks.

lower deck

noun

1. the deck of a ship situated immediately above the hold
2. informal.
   the petty officers and seamen of a ship collectively

Word History and Origins

Origin of lower deck¹

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

The passengers were still sitting on the upper deck, with the lower deck used to accommodate all the gas cylinders.

From BBC

Survivors’ testimonies said that women and children were onboard, too, but on lower decks and unable to escape.

From New York Times

Ninety minutes later, they took a glass-paneled elevator past the two lower decks and went straight to the top of the tower.

From Literature

I hoped there were no people leaning on the rails of lower decks.

From Literature

Explore the ship’s midcentury mess hall, Spartan officers’ quarters, and corridors of claustrophobia-inducing stacked cots on lower decks next to imposing engine rooms.

From Seattle Times