definitions

sailor

[ sey-ler ]
/ ˈseɪ lər /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sailor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person whose occupation is sailing or navigation; mariner.
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.

RELATED CONTENT

Talk Like A Sailor: 9 Fascinating Nautical TermsRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
It’s A Doggy Dog World … Or Is it?Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

cadet, marine, pilot, boater, diver, swab, tarpaulin, mate, jack, seafarer, navigator, mariner, salt, pirate, bluejacket, shipmate, tar, windjammer, middy, lascar

Nearby words

sailing boat, sailing length, sailing ship, sailmaker, sailmaker's palm, sailor, sailor hat, sailor suit, sailor's breastplate, sailor's-choice, sailoring

Origin of sailor

1540–50; earlier sailer; see sail, -or2
SYNONYMS FOR sailor
1 seafarer. 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.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sailor ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formssail·or·like, adjectivesail·or·ly, adjectivenon·sail·or, noun
Can be confusedsailer sailor (see synonym study at the current entry)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sailor

British Dictionary definitions for sailor

sailor

/ (ˈseɪlə) /

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 seasicka good sailor
short for sailor hat, sailor suit
Derived Formssailorly, adjective
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

Word Origin and History for sailor

sailor

n.

c.1400, sailer, agent noun from sail (v.). Spelling with -o- arose 16c., probably by influence of tailor, etc., and to distinguish the meaning "seaman, mariner" from "thing that sails." It replaced much older seaman and mariner (q.q.v.). Old English also had merefara "sailor." Applied as an adjective from 1870s to clothing styles and items based on a sailor's characteristic attire.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper