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sailor

[ sey-ler ]
/ ˈseÉȘ lər /
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See synonyms for: sailor / sailors / sailorly 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.
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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as


Origin of sailor

First recorded in 1540–50; earlier sailer;see sail, -or2

synonym study for sailor

1. 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 WORDS FROM sailor

sail·or·like, adjectivesail·or·ly, adjectivenon·sail·or, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sailor

sailer, sailor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sailor in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sailor

sailor
/ (ˈseÉȘlə) /

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

Derived forms of sailor

sailorly, 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
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