seaman

¹ American  

[see-muhn] / ˈsi mən /

noun

plural

seamen

1. a person skilled in seamanship.

2. a person whose trade or occupation is assisting in the handling, sailing, and navigating of a ship during a voyage, especially one below the rank of officer; sailor.

3. U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. an enlisted person ranking below petty officer.

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Seaman ² American  

[see-muhn] / ˈsi mən /

noun

1. Elizabeth Cochrane original name of Nellie Bly.

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seaman British  

/ ˈsiːmən /

noun

1. a rating trained in seamanship as opposed to electrical engineering, etc

2. a man who serves as a sailor

3. a person skilled in seamanship

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Related Words

See sailor.

Other Word Forms

• seaman-like adjective
• seamanly adjective
• superseaman noun

Etymology

Origin of seaman

First recorded before 900; Middle English seeman, Old English sǣmann. See sea, man

Example Sentences

The captains of such ships were the rock stars of their day, consummate seamen who risked their lives on the open oceans for wealth and fame.

From The Wall Street Journal

Back outside, with a view of the port and the sunlit open sea, we met a merchant seaman, relaxing on a bench, who told us his son worked for the New York Times.

From Los Angeles Times

In 1943 he joined the Navy, where as a seaman he carried out general ship and gunnery duties on the Flower class corvette HMS Potentilla.

From BBC

Dougie Shelley joined the Royal Navy at the age of 17, serving as a seaman gunner, and said earlier this year: "There is not many of us left."

From BBC

His performance as the naïve young seaman, hanged for killing an officer in self-defence, won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe for Best Newcomer.

From BBC

Related Words

• mariner