able seaman

American  

[ey-buhl see-muhn] / ˈeɪ bəl ˈsi mən /

noun

1. Also called able-bodied seaman.  an experienced deck-department seaman qualified to perform routine sea duties.

2. (in the British Navy and on British and U.S. merchant ships) a rating between ordinary seaman and leading seaman or boatswain's mate. A.B., AB

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Etymology

Origin of able seaman

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

Simon Dowers, of Martlesham, near Ipswich, was a 23-year-old able seaman on the European Gateway on the night of the tragedy.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2022

Historians said the able seaman had come from a wealthy grazing family and trained as an accountant.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2021

I found Joshua Maloka, a twenty-six-year-old able seaman, in the base’s chapel.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 21, 2017

There were also an able seaman, an organizer for the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union, a professional Marine Corps officer, and a researcher for the State Department's Voice of America program.

From Time Magazine Archive

Her friend the able seaman was nearby, and he paused as he adjusted the canvas cover of the forward hatch to look out at the little girl’s daemon skimming and leaping with the dolphins.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman