boatswain
    n 1: a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of
         other seamen [syn: boatswain, bos'n, bo's'n, bosun,
         bo'sun]

Skua \Sku"a\, n. [Icel. sk?fr, sk?mr.] (Zool.)
   Any jager gull; especially, the Megalestris skua; -- called
   also boatswain.
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Jager \Ja"ger\, n. [G. j[aum]ger a hunter, a sportsman. Cf.
   Yager.] [Written also jaeger.]
   1. (Mil.) A sharpshooter. See Yager.
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   2. (Zool.) Any species of gull of the genus Stercorarius.
      Three species occur on the Atlantic coast. The jagers
      pursue other species of gulls and force them to disgorge
      their prey. The two middle tail feathers are usually
      decidedly longer than the rest. Called also boatswain,
      and marline-spike bird. The name is also applied to the
      skua, or Arctic gull (Megalestris skua).
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Tropic \Trop"ic\, a.
   Of or pertaining to the tropics; tropical.
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   Tropic bird (Zool.), any one of three species of oceanic
      belonging to the genus Phaethon, found chiefly in
      tropical seas. They are mostly white, and have two central
      tail feathers very long and slender. The yellow-billed
      tropic bird. Phaethon flavirostris (called also
      boatswain), is found on the Atlantic coast of America,
      and is common at the Bermudas, where it breeds.
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Boatswain \Boat"swain\, n. [Boat + swain.]
   1. (Naut.) An officer who has charge of the boats, sails,
      rigging, colors, anchors, cables, cordage, etc., of a
      ship, and who also summons the crew, and performs other
      duties.
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   2. (Zool.)
      (a) The jager gull.
      (b) The tropic bird.
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   Boatswain's mate, an assistant of the boatswain. --Totten.
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