spotsman means A smuggler responsible for selecting a suitable place on shore to land the smuggled goods. It carries an Arena rating of 1283, earned across 21 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, spotsman ranks #142 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #2,091 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #2,777 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #3,132 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words.
Why “spotsman” is a great word
A person hired to select a suitable coastal location for secretly landing contraband. From English spot (a particular place) + connective -s- + man (a person), first attested in 1827. Unlike a smuggler—a general term for anyone in the illegal trade—or a lookout, who watches for approaching danger, a spotsman is a logistical specialist, a scout of the clandestine. He is the one reading the moon on the water to gauge the tide, testing the firmness of a shingle beach in the dark, and translating the silent grammar of the shore into opportunity—a practitioner whose entire expertise lies in finding the precise seam where the law's fabric is worn thin.
Etymology
Spot + -s- + -man
noun
- A smuggler responsible for selecting a suitable place on shore to land the smuggled goods.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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