Definition

Noun

  • The floor you walk on or what shelters you on a ship.

Origin

15th century. From the Middle Dutch word, dec, meaning roof.

Comments

The floor is a term landlubbers use, and pedantic sailors will remind you that a deck is horizontal. Technically a deck only applies to that which extends the entire length of a ship. However, other built-up portions of the ship, such as the forecastle, and poop deck are often still referred to as decks.

References

Kemp, P. (1994). The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. Oxford University Press.

Rogers, J.G. (1985). Origins of Sea Terms. Mystic Seaport.