sailor

[ sey-ler ]
See synonyms for: sailorsailorssailorly on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person whose occupation is sailing or navigation; mariner.

  2. a seaman below the rank of officer.

  1. a naval enlistee.

  2. 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.

  3. a flat-brimmed straw hat with a low, flat crown.

Origin of sailor

1
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 for sailor

Opposites for sailor

Other words from sailor

  • sail·or·like, adjective
  • sail·or·ly, adjective
  • non·sail·or, noun

Words that may be confused with sailor

Words Nearby sailor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sailor in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sailor

sailor

/ (ˈseɪlə) /


noun
  1. any member of a ship's crew, esp one below the rank of officer

  2. a person who sails, esp with reference to the likelihood of his becoming seasick: a 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