lower deck

American  

[loh-er] / ˈloʊ ər /

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.

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lower deck British  

noun

1. the deck of a ship situated immediately above the hold

2. informal the petty officers and seamen of a ship collectively

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Etymology

Origin of lower deck

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

Illuminated by night, it harbors tea houses on its lower deck and has served as a gathering spot for generations.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2025

In total, five people from the Sea Story were rescued by divers, including a Swiss man and a Finnish woman who had survived in another air pocket inside their cabin on the lower deck.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025

Fairchild gave the Reds a 3-1 fourth inning lead with a towering, 427-foot shot deep into the lower deck in left field off Syndergaard’s 1-1 slider with Christian Encarnación-Strand on base following a leadoff single.

From Washington Times • Aug. 17, 2023

The vessel was out of fuel and its lower deck was full of water, while the captain had left and there was nobody who could steer the boat, they added.

From Reuters • Apr. 9, 2023

It appears we may be confined to this ship for some time; and more particularly, to its lower deck.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson