A sailor or worker responsible for operating and maintaining hatchways on a ship, ensuring cargo safety and proper sealing.
Hatchway (hatch + way) + man (Old English mann). A nautical occupational term for someone whose job involves managing ship hatchways.
The hatchwayman was essential crew—loose cargo or an improperly sealed hatchway could sink a ship in rough seas, so their expertise was literally a matter of life and death!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.