coxswain
/ˈkɑk.s(ə)n/noun, verb
coxswain is spelled C-O-X-S-W-A-I-N: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 78,613th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, coxswain means “In a ship's boat, the helmsman given charge of the boat's crew” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of coxswain is coxswains.
How many letters and syllables are in coxswain?
| Letters | 8: C-O-X-S-W-A-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 7 million words; the 78,613th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is coxswain?
Coxswain appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 78,613th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce coxswain?
- UK /ˈkɒk.s(ə)n/
- /ˈkɒkˌsweɪn/
- US /ˈkɑk.s(ə)n/
Coxswain has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-coxswain.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of coxswain
- coxswains plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- cockswain
- coxswaining participle, present
- coxswained participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does coxswain mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
In a ship's boat, the helmsman given charge of the boat's crew.
- 2
The member of a crew who steers the shell and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.
- 3
archaicThe second or third mate of a vessel, in charge of the master's barge.
- 4
A rank or position.
Canadian Navy Coxswain (or Capitaine d'Armes) is the senior non-commissioned officer aboard a ship
verb
- 1
To act as coxswain for.
to coxswain for a college rowing team
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Coxswain in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Bootsführer , Steuermann |
| Portuguese | timoneiro, timoneiros |
| Spanish | timonero, timonel |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does coxswain come from?
From Middle English cokswain, equivalent to cock (“small boat”) + swain (“boy, servant”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).