helmsman

[ helmz-muhn ]
See synonyms for: helmsmanhelmsmanship on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural helms·men.
  1. a person who steers a ship; helmsperson.

Origin of helmsman

1
First recorded in 1615–25; helm1 + 's1 + -man

Other words from helmsman

  • helms·man·ship, noun

Words Nearby helmsman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use helmsman in a sentence

  • The helmsman led me to the side of the vessel, and told me to hold my head overboard, and inhale the air.

  • Captain Worse winked at the helmsman, and declared that the old thing knew well enough where she was now that they were round.

    Skipper Worse | Alexander Lange Kielland
  • But Thorgils had known what was coming, and had kept his quick eye on the helmsman of the stranger.

    A Prince of Cornwall | Charles W. Whistler
  • The helmsman in the boat would take hold of it when it came within his reach, and put the money into the toe of it.

    Rollo in Holland | Jacob Abbott
  • She had eight thwarts, on which the paddlers sat, and a seat aft for the helmsman, who also used a paddle for steering.

    In the Wilds of Florida | W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for helmsman

helmsman

/ (ˈhɛlmzmən) /


nounplural -men
  1. the person at the helm who steers the ship; steersman

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012