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merchant marine

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noun
  1. the vessels of a nation that are engaged in commerce.
  2. the officers and crews of such vessels.
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Origin of merchant marine

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for merchant marine

marine

Examples from the Web for merchant marine

Historical Examples of merchant marine

  • But New York had taken rapid strides in her merchant-marine.

    A Little Girl of Long Ago

    Amanda Millie Douglas

  • The race of our merchant-marine captains disappeared with their ships, and they will return no more.

    Hawthorne and His Circle

    Julian Hawthorne

  • Several German merchant-marine companies, notably the Kosmos, plied along the Chilian coast.

  • So he rose to the highest rank in the merchant-marine, and was respected almost to idolatry by all on board the Vulcan.