able seaman

[ey-buhl see-muhn]

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of able seaman¹

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

Twenty lives were lost, including that of the ship's commander and a young able seaman from Wrexham.

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The rest of the crew was made up of able seamen accustomed to the harsh weather of the North Sea, two doctors, a handful of university scientists, officers, a carpenter, and a cook.

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They had sailed with a sorry crew and arrived with able seamen—with very able seamen!

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

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That evening an unfortunate accident befell an able seaman who had crewed the rigging on the Heart of a Dream.

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