landsman

[ landz-muhn ]

/ ˈlændz mən /

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See synonyms for landsman on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural lands·men.

Also landman. a person who lives or works on land.

an inexperienced sailor or one who has not been to sea before.

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Origin of landsman

before 1000 for sense “native”; Middle English landes man, londes man,Old English landes mann;see land, 's¹, -man

usage note for landsman

See -man.

Words nearby landsman

landside, landskip, landsknecht, landslide, Landsmål, landsman, landsmanshaft, land snail, Landsteiner, Landsting, landsturm

Other definitions for landsman (2 of 2)

landsman²

[ lahnts-muhn ]

/ ˈlɑnts mən /

noun, plural lands·leit

[lahnts-lahyt], /ˈlɑnts laɪt/, English lands·men.Yiddish.

a person from the same town, geographical area, region, etc., as another; compatriot.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use landsman in a sentence

There is no landsman in the ship now exposed to its dangers.
The Land of Fire|Mayne Reid
And yet they paused and looked about in quickened perception, with the clutch at the throat that takes the landsman on big waters.
Where the Pavement Ends|John Russell
Helped by pluck, I thought to myself, as I tried with my landsman's fancy to conjure up that perilous scene.
The Riddle of the Sands|Erskine Childers
The officers were most friendly and did everything possible to make things comfortable for a landsman in their limited quarters.
War in the Garden of Eden|Kermit Roosevelt

He trusted to his Pilot, like the landsman in a storm; to his Father, as an infant in the dark.
The Complete Prose Works of Martin Farquhar Tupper|Martin Farquhar Tupper

British Dictionary definitions for landsman (1 of 2)

landsman¹

/ (ˈlændzmən) /

noun plural -men

a person who works or lives on land, as distinguished from a seaman

a person with no experience at sea

British Dictionary definitions for landsman (2 of 2)

landsman²

/ (ˈlændzmən) /

noun plural -men

a Jewish compatriot from the same area of origin as another

Word Origin for landsman

from Yiddish

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