Crossword Genius

Second mate in ship of the line (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

linear

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'second mate in ship of the line' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'second mate in ship' is the wordplay.
'second mate' becomes 'a' (2nd letter of 'mate').
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'ship' becomes 'liner' (liner is a kind of ship).
'a' inserted within 'liner' is 'LINEAR'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for linear that I've seen before include "Involving one dimension only" , "Long and narrow, of one dimension" , "Consisting of lines" , "(Of narrative) sequential" , "Arranged in straight fashion" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail and The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.