matelot

American  

[mat-loh, mat-l-oh] / ˈmæt loʊ, ˈmæt lˌoʊ /

Or matelow

noun

British Slang.

1. a sailor.

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matelot British  

/ ˈmætləʊ /

noun

1. slang a sailor

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Etymology

Origin of matelot

1910–15; < French ≪ Middle Dutch mattenoot sailor, equivalent to matte mat ¹ + noot companion ( Dutch genoot )

Example Sentences

They were the only places you’d get French imported stuff from – the hipster trousers and matelot shirts – which we liked.

From The Guardian • May 17, 2015

He had been a matelot, he said,—made a long voyage, and once touched at an English port.

From Rambles in the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia with Notices of their History, Antiquities, and Present Condition. by Forester, Thomas

Also, no man has more than one matelot.

From Caribbee by Hoover, Thomas

This matelot Blenkinsop has got it very badly.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, Jan. 8, 1919 by Various

"I have been matelot to Jacques for almost three years, but I don't recall the pleasure of welcoming you before this evening."

From Caribbee by Hoover, Thomas