mariner

noun

mar·​i·​ner ˈmer-ə-nər How to pronounce mariner (audio)
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.

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 Israel-Gaza war Houthi militants struck a commercial vessel off the coast of Yemen on Wednesday, killing three civilian mariners. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Captain's behavior remains an enigma Questions still linger over why Captain Burke, an experienced mariner who knew the Great Lakes well, went down with the Arlington rather than be rescued with the rest of his crew. Stephen Smith, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2024 Based on the true story of Richard Phillips and his experience as captain of a U.S. cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates, Captain Phillips unfolds with nerve-wracking tension as the eponymous merchant mariner tries to negotiate his way through a delicate situation. Kevin Jacobsen and Sammi Burke, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023 Houthi militants have threatened or taken hostage mariners from more than 20 countries. TIME, 17 Jan. 2024 The vessel matched the description of the overdue mariner’s boat, officials said. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2023 Weeks after Otis made landfall, the ferocious storm’s painful toll is coming into sharper focus: Acapulco’s large mariner community, a foundation of this tourist magnet for decades, has been left shattered. Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 The Jones Act’s existence was meant to ensure a ready supply of ships and mariners in case of war. Matt Simon, WIRED, 3 Feb. 2024 The crew reunited the mariner with family Thursday at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mariner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mariner was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mariner

Cite this Entry

“Mariner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mariner. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mariner

noun
mar·​i·​ner ˈmar-ə-nər How to pronounce mariner (audio)
: one who navigates or assists in navigating a ship : sailor

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