1
: a sailor who has charge of a ship's boat and its crew and who usually steers
2
: a steersman of a racing shell who usually directs the rowers
coxswained; coxswaining; coxswains
: to direct as coxswain
: to act as coxswain
Examples of coxswain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Phil Jensen, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024
Each rowing shell held eight rowers and one coxswain ranging in age from 14 to 18, while the chase boat was operated by their coach, police said.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2024
Cecile Richards, Glamour, 11 May 2018
See all Example Sentences for coxswain 
Noun
Another Los Gatos boat that claimed silver medals was the Women’s Under 15 Quad-x with a coxswain.
—Phil Jensen, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024
Each rowing shell held eight rowers and one coxswain ranging in age from 14 to 18, while the chase boat was operated by their coach, police said.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2024
Verb
Watching her granddaughter Hannah pitch through a tough inning of softball or her granddaughter Lily coxswain for the rowing team was a marvel.
—Cecile Richards, Glamour, 11 May 2018
See all Example Sentences for coxswain
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coxswain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Coxswain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coxswain. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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