Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
Something (especially part of a vessel) that is useless, or superfluous or unnecessary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: nautical, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A captain of a vessel who has little or no practical use.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Topics: nautical, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Possible coinage as a variation of English dunnage as dun + -sel with the suffix indicating singulative or diminutive. Earliest so-far documented use was in a Star Trek episode, "The Ultimate Computer". Was coined by a writer for the original "Star Trek" series (Episode name: The Ultimate Computer.").
