merchant marine
- the vessels of a nation that are engaged in commerce.
- 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
Examples from the Web for merchant marine
Historical Examples
But New York had taken rapid strides in her merchant-marine.
A Little Girl of Long AgoAmanda Millie Douglas
The race of our merchant-marine captains disappeared with their ships, and they will return no more.
Hawthorne and His CircleJulian Hawthorne
Several German merchant-marine companies, notably the Kosmos, plied along the Chilian coast.
World's War Events, Vol. IVarious
So he rose to the highest rank in the merchant-marine, and was respected almost to idolatry by all on board the Vulcan.
The Monkey That Would Not KillHenry Drummond