# coxswain

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɒk.s(ə)n/ · frequency rank #78,495

## Definitions
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. The second or third mate of a vessel, in charge of the master's barge.
4. A rank or position.

## Etymology
From Middle English cokswain; equivalent to cock (“a boat”) + swain (“boy, servant”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/coxswain