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Synonyms

helmsman

American  
[helmz-muhn] / ˈhɛlmz mən /

noun

plural

helmsmen

  1. a person who steers a ship; helmsperson.

helmsman British  
/ ˈhɛlmzmən /

noun

  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

Other Word Forms

  • helmsmanship noun

Etymology

Origin of helmsman

First recorded in 1615–25; helm 1 + 's 1 + -man

Vocabulary lists containing helmsman

Novel Study: Refugee, Pages 171–338

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Thucydides was partial to naturalistic explanation and, no stranger to eclipses himself, might well have offered Pericles’ nervous helmsman a cloak.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Along with the helmsman, three coastguards who entered the water to carry out the rescue suffered from water ingestion, mild hypothermia, exhaustion and one had an ankle injury.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025

But Burling, the two-time reigning America’s Cup champion helmsman, got caught in traffic in the 10-boat fleet and copped a penalty for not keeping clear of Emirates Great Britain.

From Washington Times • Oct. 15, 2023

Navy tanker during World War I. The helmsman made repeated trips across the Atlantic through submarine-infested waters.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 31, 2023

Chekov, the Russian ensign; Sulu, the Japanese American helmsman; and the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer, Mr. Spock, added an interstellar touch of diversity.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.