shore leave
Americannoun
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permission to spend time ashore, usually 48 hours or more, granted a member of a ship's company.
-
the time spent ashore during such leave.
noun
-
permission to go ashore Compare liberty
-
time spent ashore during leave
Etymology
Origin of shore leave
First recorded in 1905–10
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.
This is a lighthearted comic dance about sailors on shore leave in World War II.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Times were different when Jerome Robbins choreographed “Fancy Free,” his 1944 one-act ballet about three sailors on shore leave.
From New York Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
An Israeli official said Ankara had submitted a preliminary request for the crew to disembark on shore leave.
From Reuters ● Sep. 4, 2022
He had not set foot on land since a brief shore leave in August 2019 and he almost never had a day off.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2020
Conversation: men and women joking, talking about shore leave.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
