sailor

American  

[sey-ler] / ˈseɪ lər /

noun

1. a person whose occupation is sailing or navigation; mariner.

   Synonyms:

   seafarer

   Antonyms:

   landlubber

2. a seaman below the rank of officer.

3. a naval enlistee.

4. 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.

5. a flat-brimmed straw hat with a low, flat crown.

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sailor British  

/ ˈseɪlə /

noun

1. any member of a ship's crew, esp one below the rank of officer

2. a person who sails, esp with reference to the likelihood of his becoming seasick

   a good sailor

3. short for sailor hat sailor suit

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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

First recorded in 1540–50; earlier sailer; sail, -or ²

Example Sentences

John Shaw, Magnus’s deputy, is a brute and a bully; Abel Walker, Magnus’s nephew, is a young innocent; Tom Hearn is a sailor who trained as a cleric and speaks the indigenous languages.

From The Wall Street Journal

Navy officials have expressed concern about the strain that another deployment extension could put on sailors, but the carrier has a strong record and can support additional combat operations if needed, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal

Seventeen sailors died in two separate collisions between Navy destroyers and merchant ships in the Pacific in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal

She lives in Miami, where she is an avid sailor and scuba diver.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The vessel is sanctioned and blacklisted," the sailor wrote.

From BBC

Related Words

• boater
• cadet
• diver
• marine
• pilot