Forecastlehead

/ˈfoʊksəlhɛd/ noun

Definition

A sailor or person stationed in or working from the forecastle of a ship.

Etymology

From 'forecastle' plus 'head' (used nautically to mean a person in that location, as in 'masthead'). This was sailor slang for crew members, particularly those of lower rank who bunked in the forecastle.

Kelly Says

This term reveals how sailors had their own creative language—calling someone a 'forecastlehead' was both their job description and their social identity aboard ship, marking them as part of the working crew.

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