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Synonyms

sea captain

American  

noun

  1. the master of a seagoing vessel.

sea captain British  

noun

  1. the master of a ship, usually a merchant ship

"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

Etymology

Origin of sea captain

First recorded in 1605–15

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 with sea captains of old, if a heading or speed estimate is a tiny bit wrong, that can mean increasingly inaccurate positioning over time.

From The Wall Street Journal

So she explained a bit, how a sea captain had come into Mr. Pinkerton’s office in a fit of worry.

From Literature

Alexander jumped to his feet and assumed the wide, bow-legged stance of a sea captain that he often used when playing pirates.

From Literature

Expecting this, the pilot was prepared to navigate as sea captains had done for centuries, using star charts and a sextant.

From Literature

"Icebergs are inherently dangerous. I would be extraordinarily happy if it just completely missed us," sea captain Simon Wallace tells BBC News, speaking from the South Georgia government vessel Pharos.

From BBC

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.