POWDER MONKEY Definition & Meaning

powder monkey

noun

(formerly) a boy employed on warships to carry gunpowder from the magazine to the guns.
powderman ( def 1 ).

powder monkey

noun

(formerly) a boy who carried powder from the magazine to the guns on warships

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of powder monkey¹

First recorded in 1675–85

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He was a powder monkey, which meant it was his job to rush heavy bags of explosive gunpowder to the men loading the cannons.

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Historically, children often served in ancillary roles during wartime, as couriers, drummer boys, or “powder monkeys,” who ferried ammunition to cannon crews.

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During the Napoleonic Wars, so-called “powder monkeys,” some as young as ten, helped arm cannons for the British Navy.

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He was a drill runner and powder monkey before he became a blaster.

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We learnt about powder monkeys when we visited HMS Victory so I was interested to read this poem.

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