Steerage
/ˈstɪərɪdʒ/
nounB2
Definition
Steerage means the part of a ship where passengers travel cheaply, usually at the bottom or back of the ship. This area is often crowded and has fewer comforts than other parts of the ship. Historically, it was used for immigrants or poor travelers going long distances by sea.
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See It in Action
The lowest-cost passenger section on a ship
- •Many immigrants traveled to America in steerage during the early 1900s.
- •Steerage passengers had to share crowded rooms with little privacy.
- •The steerage area was far from the captain’s bridge and main decks.
(Less common) The act or area related to steering a ship (historical use)
- •The captain gave orders from the steerage to control the ship’s direction. (rare usage)
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'steerage' like 'cheap seats' on a bus or plane, but on a ship and usually in a crowded, basic area
- ✓Picture a large ship with many people packed into simple rooms or open spaces near the bottom of the ship
- ✓It feels like traveling in a place with little space and few comforts, maybe a little noisy or busy
- ✓Sounds like 'steer-age' → imagine 'steering' a ship from the back where the cheapest passengers stay
- ✓Imagine old movies or stories about immigrants traveling across the ocean in crowded, rough conditions
- ✓NOT like 'first class' or 'cabin' which are comfortable, private, and expensive areas on a ship
- ✓NOT like 'deck' generally, because steerage is a specific section for cheap travel, often below decks
Try Other Words
- •Third class: lowest passenger class on a ship (Use when talking about passenger class on older ships)
- •Lower deck: bottom level of a ship (Use when focusing on physical location rather than passenger class)
- •Economy class: general term for cheapest travel (Use for planes or modern travel, less for ships)
- •Cargo hold: area where goods are stored (Use only if emphasizing non-passenger areas)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "steer" (to control direction) + suffix "-age" (a noun-forming ending meaning related to)
- •Etymology: From Middle English, related to the place where the ship is steered or controlled
- •Historical development: Originally meant the area near the ship's steering mechanism; later used for the lower passenger area for cheap travel
- •Modern usage: Mostly refers to the cheap passenger section on older ships, especially in historical or immigration contexts
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think traveling in steerage might affect a person's experience of a long sea journey?
•Why do you think the term "steerage" became linked with the cheapest and most crowded part of a ship?
Fill in the blanks
1.Immigrants often traveled in steerage because it was the ___ option for long sea trips.
2.Steerage passengers usually had to share ___ rooms with many other travelers.
3.Unlike first class, steerage offered very few ___ or comforts.
4.The word "steerage" originally referred to the part of the ship near the ___.
5.Traveling in steerage could be difficult due to ___ space and noise.
6.Steerage is different from the upper decks because it is located ___ on the ship.
7.When people say someone "came over in steerage," they mean they traveled in the ___ class on a ship.