In a single-banked boat he who rows the foremost oar and manages the boat-hook; called by the French "brigadier de l'embarcation." In double-banked boats there are always two bowmen. Also an archer, differently pronounced.
·noun A man who uses a bow; an <<Archer>>. II. Bowman ·noun The man who rows the foremost oar in a ...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language