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second mate

American

noun

the officer of a merchant vessel next in command beneath the first mate.

second mate British

noun

Also called: second officer. the next in command of a merchant vessel after the first mate

"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

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.

I was really very, very elated and delighted and excited when I did see that second mate.

From Salon • Oct. 1, 2023

Settling into Key West, he worked as second mate on a fishing charter while playing barrooms at night.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2023

Soon, the second mate of the ship behind the Ever Given, Ernest J. Caponegro, lost sight of its distinctive forest-green hull.

From New York Times • Jul. 17, 2021

Erika Butters, a singer on the Nieuw Statendam, remains stuck at sea off the coast of the Bahamas with her husband, who is the ship’s second mate, and their 2-year-old son.

From Washington Post • Apr. 14, 2020

“What happened?” the second mate asked, his voice falling loudly in the silence.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

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