sailor
Americannoun
-
a person whose occupation is sailing or navigation; mariner.
- Synonyms:
- seafarer
- Antonyms:
- landlubber
-
a seaman below the rank of officer.
-
a naval enlistee.
-
a person adept at sailing, especially with reference to freedom from seasickness.
He was such a bad sailor that he always traveled to Europe by plane.
-
a flat-brimmed straw hat with a low, flat crown.
noun
-
any member of a ship's crew, esp one below the rank of officer
-
a person who sails, esp with reference to the likelihood of his becoming seasick
a good sailor
-
short for sailor hat sailor suit
Related Words
Sailor, mariner, salt, seaman, tar are terms for a person who leads a seafaring life. A sailor or seaman is one whose occupation is on board a ship at sea, especially a member of a ship's crew below the rank of petty officer: a sailor before the mast; an able-bodied seaman. Mariner is a term now found only in certain technical expressions: master mariner (captain in merchant service); mariner's compass (ordinary compass as used on ships); formerly used much as “sailor” or “seafaring man,” now the word seems elevated or quaint: Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Salt and tar are informal terms for old and experienced sailors: an old salt; a jolly tar.
Other Word Forms
- nonsailor noun
- sailorlike adjective
- sailorly adjective
Etymology
Origin of sailor
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many of his crew were much more experienced sailors.
From Literature
And fatigue among overworked soldiers, sailors, aircrews and Marines can lead to costly mistakes.
It is rare for there to be two US aircraft carriers, which carry dozens of warplanes and are crewed by thousands of sailors, in the region.
From Barron's
At some point, Islam called her parents - her father, a sailor, and her mother, a teacher - who were at a family function outside Dhaka.
From BBC
Love becomes more mournful on “Harbor Lights,” the first of two ballads on the LP: “One way ticket and a runaway heart / A sailor’s dream came true the night I dreamed you.”
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
