sea dog

American  

[see dawg, dog] / ˈsi ˌdɔg, ˌdɒg /

Sometimes seadog

noun

1. Informal. a sailor, especially an old or experienced one.

2. harbor seal.

3. a dogfish.

4. Informal. a pirate or privateer.

---

sea dog British  

noun

1. an experienced or old sailor

---

Etymology

Origin of sea dog

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

"Well, sticking, as it were, to the truth, they were not," replied the old Sea-Dog, very gruffly.

From Davy and The Goblin What Followed Reading 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Bensell, Edmund Birckhead

But, after all, it is the whole Sea-Dog war, and not any single battle or campaign, that really made those vast changes in world-history which we enjoy today.

From Flag and Fleet How the British Navy Won the Freedom of the Seas by Wood, William Charles Henry

In any case, he is the only man who ever properly described the daily work on board a Sea-Dog ship.

From Flag and Fleet How the British Navy Won the Freedom of the Seas by Wood, William Charles Henry

Sea-Dog courage counted for much against the Great Armada; but Sea-Dog skill for more.

From Flag and Fleet How the British Navy Won the Freedom of the Seas by Wood, William Charles Henry

"A dog-watch keeps a watching on a bark," said the old Sea-Dog; "and a watch-dog keeps a barking on a watch."

From Davy and The Goblin What Followed Reading 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Bensell, Edmund Birckhead