Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

fisherman

American  
[fish-er-muhn] / ˈfɪʃ ər mən /

noun

plural

fishermen

  1. a person who fishes, whether for profit or pleasure.

  2. a ship used in fishing.

adjective

  1. Knitting. Also fisherman's of, relating to, or designating a knitting pattern consisting primarily of cable-stitches executed in a characteristically thick, traditionally off-white yarn, or a garment made in this pattern and yarn.

    a fisherman sweater.
fisherman British  
/ ˈfɪʃəmən /

noun

  1. a person who fishes as a profession or for sport

  2. a vessel used for fishing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of fisherman

1400–50; late Middle English fissherman; see fisher, -man

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.

Turkey is now seeking the repatriation of other antiquities taken during the Ottoman era: an ancient marble torso called the "Old Fisherman" from Berlin, and dozens of Iznik tiles held at France's Louvre museum.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

“The fish factories closed, the ships were stranded in the harbor, and the workers all left,” said Zhasekenov, former director of the Aral Sea Fisherman Museum in Aralsk, Kazakhstan.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2024

Fisherman Yaroslav Levchenko is from the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia's far east, known not just for its volcanic landscapes and extraordinary wildlife but also for its large military presence.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2023

Who knew you absolutely couldn’t live without his Pocket Fisherman, or Veg-o-Matic, or Mr. Microphone, until Popeil told you so?

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2023

“What if he u1 down there,” I say, “but he’s magic like in that fairy tale ‘The Fisherman and His Wife.’”

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

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.