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• seaman
  seaman

  noun

  a person skilled in seamanship.
• Seaman
  Seaman

  noun

  Elizabeth Cochrane original name of Nellie Bly.

seaman

¹ American  

[see-muhn] / ˈsi mən /

noun

plural

seamen

1. a person skilled in seamanship.

2. a person whose trade or occupation is assisting in the handling, sailing, and navigating of a ship during a voyage, especially one below the rank of officer; sailor.

3. U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. an enlisted person ranking below petty officer.

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Seaman ² American  

[see-muhn] / ˈsi mən /

noun

1. Elizabeth Cochrane original name of Nellie Bly.

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seaman British  

/ ˈsiːmən /

noun

1. a rating trained in seamanship as opposed to electrical engineering, etc

2. a man who serves as a sailor

3. a person skilled in seamanship

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Related Words

See sailor.

Other Word Forms

• seaman-like
  adjective
• seamanly
  adjective
• superseaman
  noun

Etymology

Origin of seaman

First recorded before 900; Middle English seeman, Old English sǣmann. See sea, man

Example Sentences

During his time at Arsenal, Manninger largely played second fiddle to David Seaman, but deputised for the injured England keeper late in the 1997-98 season.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Seaman, the Akamai researcher and a Big Pipes member, couldn’t believe what Brundage was picking up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

"It's producing fragments of building stone, so it might be structural. We might be thinking of a small shrine or a chapel," says Dr Andy Seaman, from Cardiff University, who is leading the dig.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

Though there will surely be many occupations that we can’t even imagine today, here are four that seem possible, writes New York University’s Robert Seaman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

As they were about to leave, and he was holding the door open for the sisters, Robbie said, “I suppose we owe an apology to Able Seaman Hardman.”

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Related Words

• mariner