noun
stevedore
STEE-vuh-dor/ˈstiːvədɔːr/
A dockworker who loads and unloads ships.
The stevedore pushes the loaded pallet jack toward the ship's open ramp.
Etymology
The packing root and worker suffix originally named someone who stowed cargo in a ship's hold. That cargo-handling occupation gives the modern sense of a worker who loads and unloads ships.
In context
role as a stevedore is to move boxes in here from the ship, to the port, around the port and out to the public.
More examples
- Stevedores unload the ship before the next vessel arrives.
- My uncle works as a stevedore at the port.
- The stevedore checks that the cargo is secure before departure.
Forms
stevedore · stevedores
Similar words
- longshoreman
- Names the same cargo-handling worker, especially in American usage.
- dockworker
- Broader term for someone working on or around docks.