seaman

noun

sea·​man ˈsē-mən 

1

: sailor, mariner

2

a

: any of the three ranks below petty officer in the navy or coast guard

b

: an enlisted man in the navy or coast guard ranking above a seaman apprentice and below a petty officer

Synonyms

• gob
• hearty
• jack
• jack-tar
• mariner
• navigator
• sailor
• salt
• sea dog
• seafarer
• shipman
• swab
• swabbie [slang]
• swabby
• tar

Examples of seaman in a Sentence

a weathered old seaman who now captains a tour boat

Recent Examples on the Web

Boylan was originally charged in December 2020 with 34 counts of seaman's manslaughter, but after the defense objected, prosecutors refiled an indictment on the single count covering all the deaths. —Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 May 2024

The charge is a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seaman’s manslaughter. —Stefanie Dazio, Fortune, 2 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing seaman

• able-bodied seaman
• able seaman
• merchant seaman
• ordinary seaman
• seaman apprentice
• seaman recruit

Kids Definition

seaman

noun

sea·​man ˈsē-mən 

1

: sailor, mariner

2

: a naval enlisted person with a rank below those of petty officers

especially : an enlisted person with a rank just below that of petty officer third class