sailor
Americannoun
-
a person whose occupation is sailing or navigation; mariner.
- Synonyms:
- seafarer
- Antonyms:
- landlubber
-
a seaman below the rank of officer.
-
a naval enlistee.
-
a person adept at sailing, especially with reference to freedom from seasickness.
He was such a bad sailor that he always traveled to Europe by plane.
-
a flat-brimmed straw hat with a low, flat crown.
noun
-
any member of a ship's crew, esp one below the rank of officer
-
a person who sails, esp with reference to the likelihood of his becoming seasick
a good sailor
-
short for sailor hat sailor suit
Related Words
Sailor, mariner, salt, seaman, tar are terms for a person who leads a seafaring life. A sailor or seaman is one whose occupation is on board a ship at sea, especially a member of a ship's crew below the rank of petty officer: a sailor before the mast; an able-bodied seaman. Mariner is a term now found only in certain technical expressions: master mariner (captain in merchant service); mariner's compass (ordinary compass as used on ships); formerly used much as “sailor” or “seafaring man,” now the word seems elevated or quaint: Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Salt and tar are informal terms for old and experienced sailors: an old salt; a jolly tar.
Other Word Forms
- nonsailor noun
- sailorlike adjective
- sailorly adjective
Etymology
Origin of sailor
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As explained in the note at the end of the book, Guo based her novel’s protagonist on the real diaries of a number of 19th century female sailors.
From Los Angeles Times
The statement described the California native as an "avid sailor and outdoorsman".
From BBC
It evokes a time when Indian sailors were regular traders with the Roman Empire, the Middle East, Africa, and lands to the east -- today's Thailand, Indonesia, China and as far as Japan.
From Barron's
Conditions at sea are expected to ease off later as sailors race down the east coast before tackling the treacherous Bass Strait crossing to Tasmania.
From Barron's
Two Navy sailors, Jefferson Jones and his pal, Sink, have been adrift on a raft for 18 days, long enough for hunger to curdle into imagination.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
