A senior crew member on a ship responsible for maintaining the vessel and directing other sailors.
Shortened form of 'boatswain,' from Old English 'bat' (boat) + 'swain' (servant or attendant). The pronunciation shifted over time until 'bosun' became the standard spoken form.
The bosun's whistle, called a 'bosun's call' or 'pipe,' can produce different tones to signal specific commands—it's one of the oldest forms of shipboard communication and still used in naval ceremonies today.
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