Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

John “Thumper” McCarthy, 75, a retired sea captain and 40-year fixture of the Lahaina Yacht Club, is also on the FBI’s list.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2023

And what of Al Anderson, the Rhode Island fisherman whose myopic devotion to his quarry recalls another famous New England sea captain?

From Salon • Aug. 2, 2023

This bizarre hybrid was bought by Moses Kimball, founder of the Boston Museum, from the family of a sea captain.

From Scientific American • May 31, 2023

The man himself, son of a sea captain, is an instinctive, charismatic politician who electrifies the campaign trail thanks to a natural bond with admiring masses across Anatolia.

From Reuters • May 12, 2023

Rather he came to see her as an obstacle, just as a sea captain might view an iceberg—something to monitor and avoid.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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.