foretopman

[ fawr-top-muhn, fohr-; Nautical fawr-tuhp-muhn, fohr- ]

noun

, plural fore·top·men.

1. a member of a ship's crew stationed on the foretop.

Word History and Origins

Origin of foretopman¹

First recorded in 1810–20; foretop + -man

Example Sentences

In Lit class, we had finished reading Billy Budd, Foretopman, and I was convinced by that time that Mr. Wellins was some sort of pervert, because he believed that everything we read had something to do with sex.

From Literature

He was particularly animated later about a gift from someone:  a 1946 edition of Melville’s Billy Budd, Foretopman.

From The New Yorker

In brief, a good-natured young foretopman, Billy Budd, is falsely accused by the master-at-arms, John Claggart, of fomenting mutiny.

From Seattle Times

I was a smart young foretopman in them days, lads, an' it was me wot the commodore sent out on that main-yard-arm to drop them grenades down the hatchway of the Serrypis that blowed her up.

From Project Gutenberg

The tall foretopman, who was standing near by, folded his heavy arms across his chest.

From Project Gutenberg