Dunnage
[DUN-ij]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Dutch, 15th century
1.
A person's belongings, especially those brought on board a ship.
2.
Loose wood, matting, or similar material used to keep a cargo in position in a ship's hold.
Examples of Dunnage in a sentence
"After disembarking the ship, Sidney waited for his dunnage to be brought out."
"Knowing she’d be at sea for a month, Naomi made sure she packed everything she might need in her dunnage."
About Dunnage
“Dunnage” was based on the Dutch “denne,” which referred to a room below a ship’s deck, with the suffix “-age” used to indicate it is a noun.
Did you Know?
Dunnage can mean belongings brought on board a ship, but the term also refers to loose objects and materials used to secure cargo in a ship’s hold and prevent it from moving during the voyage. In the past, this dunnage could be low-value items, scraps, and garbage. A modern form of dunnage is a range of inflatable paper and fabric pouches known as “dunnage bags.”
