'Boatswain' definitions:

Definition of 'boatswain'

noun

A petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen [syn: boatswain, bos'n, bo's'n, bosun, bo'sun]

From: GCIDE

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. [1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) (a) The jager gull. (b) The tropic bird. [1913 Webster]
Boatswain's mate, an assistant of the boatswain. --Totten. [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Skua \Sku"a\, n. [Icel. sk?fr, sk?mr.] (Zool.) Any jager gull; especially, the Megalestris skua; -- called also boatswain. [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Tropic \Trop"ic\, a. Of or pertaining to the tropics; tropical. [1913 Webster]
Tropic bird (Zool.), any one of three species of oceanic belonging to the genus Phaethon, found chiefly in tropical seas. They are mostly white, and have two central tail feathers very long and slender. The yellow-billed tropic bird. Phaethon flavirostris (called also boatswain), is found on the Atlantic coast of America, and is common at the Bermudas, where it breeds. [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Jager \Ja"ger\, n. [G. j[aum]ger a hunter, a sportsman. Cf. Yager.] [Written also jaeger.]
1. (Mil.) A sharpshooter. See Yager. [1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) 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). [1913 Webster]