mariner

noun

mar·​i·​ner ˈmer-ə-nər 

ˈma-rə-

: a person who navigates or assists in navigating a ship : seaman, sailor

Did you know?

In Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, an old seaman tells of how, by shooting a friendly albatross, he had brought storms and disaster to his ship, and how as punishment his shipmates hung the great seabird around the mariner's neck and made him wear it until it rotted. The word mariner has occasionally been used to mean simply "explorer", as in the famous Mariner spaceflights in the 1960s and '70s, the first to fly close to Mars, Venus, and Mercury.

Synonyms

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

Examples of mariner in a Sentence

the ancient Phoenicians were outstanding mariners who explored and colonized much of the eastern Mediterranean

Recent Examples on the Web

In other instances, mariners have died after striking an underwater gas line. —Hayes Gardner, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2024

The agency also asked mariners to notify authorities of any orca encounters and, if possible, to take photographs of the creatures for identification. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024

The workshop participants suggest mariners avoid areas where the Iberian killer whales are likely to be hunting their preferred prey – bluefin tuna – from May through August. —Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY, 9 June 2024

Like many Baltimore-area mariners and motorists, the Pride of Baltimore II’s senior captain always felt a sense of accomplishment after clearing the Francis Scott Key Bridge. —Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin marinarius, from marinus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mariner

• mariner's compass

Kids Definition

mariner

noun

mar·​i·​ner ˈmar-ə-nər 

: one who navigates or assists in navigating a ship : sailor