Definition

A person who works at a port, loading and unloading cargo from ships.

Example

The longshoreman carefully moved the crates from the dock to the ship.

Conversation

Have you ever met a longshoreman before?

No, I haven't. What do they do exactly?

They work at the docks, loading and unloading ships.

That sounds like a tough job, especially with the heavy cargo.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Longshoreman → It is formed from "long" (from Old English "lang", meaning extended in distance) and "shore" (from Old English "sceor", meaning the land along the edge of a body of water) and "man" (meaning a person). A longshoreman is a person who works on the shore, particularly in loading and unloading ships.

Memory Tip

Think of someone who works on the 'shore' ('sceor') and is involved in activities that are 'long' ('lang') — that's why a longshoreman is a person working on the shore.

Visually Confused Words