Hypertext Webster Gateway: "boatswain"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Jager \Ja"ger\, n. [G. j["a]ger a hunter, a sportsman. Cf.
{Yager}.] [Written also {jaeger}.]
1. (Mil.) A sharpshooter. See {Yager}.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any species of gull of the genus
{Stercorarius}. Three species occur on the Atlantic coast.
The jagers pursue other species of gulls and force them to
disgorge their prey. The two middle tail feathers are
usually decidedly longer than the rest. Called also
{boatswain}, and {marline-spike bird}. The name is also
applied to the skua, or Arctic gull ({Megalestris skua}).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Skua \Sku"a\, n. [Icel. sk?fr, sk?mr.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any jager gull; especially, the {Megalestris skua}; -- called
also {boatswain}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Tropic \Trop"ic\, a.
Of or pertaining to the tropics; tropical.
{Tropic bird} (Zo["o]l.), any one of three species of oceanic
belonging to the genus {Pha["e]thon}, found chiefly in
tropical seas. They are mostly white, and have two central
tail feathers very long and slender. The yellow-billed
tropic bird. {Pha["e]thon flavirostris} (called also
{boatswain}), is found on the Atlantic coast of America,
and is common at the Bermudas, where it breeds.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Boatswain \Boat"swain\, n. [Boat + swain.]
1. (Naut.) An officer who has charge of the boats, sails,
rigging, colors, anchors, cables, cordage, etc., of a
ship, and who also summons the crew, and performs other
duties.
2. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The jager gull.
(b) The tropic bird.
{Boatswain's mate}, an assistant of the boatswain. --Totten.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
boatswain
n : a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of
other seamen [syn: {bos'n}, {bo's'n}, {bosun}, {bo'sun}]
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