boat-headern.
/ˈbəʊthɛdə/, U.S. /ˈboʊtˌhɛdər/ Whaling. Now chiefly historical.
A chief member of the crew of a whaling boat, who is responsible for killing the whale; = header n. 4b, headsman n. 4. Cf. boat-steerer n. at boat n.1 Compounds 2.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > industry > whaling and seal-hunting > whaling > whale-hunter > [noun] > skipper of whaling boat
headsman1829
boat-header1835
header1889
1835 New-Bedford (Mass.) Mercury 7 Mar. 4/1 The boat-header, who is usually an officer of the ship, is stationed at the steering-oar.
1851 H. Melville Moby-Dick lxii. 322 When the whale starts to run, the boat-header and harpooner likewise start to running fore and aft, to the imminent jeopardy of themselves and every one else.
1900 Cornhill Mag. Mar. 352 ‘B'long ter wun er the spouters, I persoom?’ ‘Yes,’ I replied; ‘boat-header in the Cachalot.’
1970 Guardian 31 Aug. 5/5 The line continues to whistle as the whale dives deeper and the boat-header, a man called Romero, takes a few turns of the line round the loggerhead.
2007 E. J. Dolin Leviathan vi. 96 When the boat finally pulled up alongside the whale, the boatheader finished it off with deep thrusts of the lance.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2013; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
<
n.1835