Meaning & use
swabbie
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An informal term for a low-ranking sailor, especially one assigned menial tasks such as scrubbing the deck.
See it in a sentence
The old sailor laughed, recalling his days as a swabbie fresh out of training.
New swabbies were given the least glamorous chores on their first week aboard.
A note on using this word
Informal naval slang, derived from 'swab' (to mop or clean); can carry a slightly dismissive or joking tone.
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