sea lawyer

Definitions

1. A lawyer who specializes in maritime law.
2. A rules lawyer.
   slang
3. A shark.
   archaic, slang
4. Synonym of mangrove snapper.

Examples

“Well, I will say⟳, I think⟳ the sea lawyer is worse than the chaps on shore. I would rather see⟳ Mother Carey's chickens any day than a shark following a ship.”

“The extraordinary number⟳ of these sea lawyers present⟳, was equalled only by their rapacity. Before we began cutting-in, they had already commenced their meal. Taking advantage of a heave of the swell, a shark would wriggle up on top of the whale, and setting his wide opened mouth against the solid blubber, would bite⟳ out a piece as round as and about the size of a man's head.”

“On rising, and casting another hasty glance⟳ at the big head and huge back fin of my enemy, I saw⟳ that he was evidently hungry and excited, and making frantic efforts to get⟳ at me; but that, being a big shark, success in his laudable attempts was not within the resources of science — in fact, morally and physically impossible, for there was scarcely water enough to swim⟳ a good-sized salmon. Being convinced of this highly comfortable state of things, I at once became cool and jolly; and, calling out to Frank to run⟳ to the United States Hotel, and fetch⟳ my rifle and a little bag of ammunition, which I always kept handy for chance occasions of sport, I prepared to have⟳ a little “chaff” with the “sea lawyer".”

CEFR level