seaman

noun

sea·​man ˈsē-mən How to pronounce seaman (audio)
1
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

Examples of seaman in a Sentence

a weathered old seaman who now captains a tour boat
Recent Examples on the Web Experienced seamen were in high demand at the time, and I’d been left with a bunch of landlubbers, green hands, and shore dunces. Mike O’Brien, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2023 Boylan was a veteran seaman with a long history at Truth Aquatics and experience navigating the Channel Islands. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023 These photos and videos, sometimes shakily taken by seamen at the break of day, have driven widespread fury toward China among Filipinos. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023 Senta has grown up hearing tales of a mysterious seaman called The Flying Dutchman who has been cursed to wander the seas forever. Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023 As ensign, Finnegan worked as a division officer, overseeing the work of a crew of seamen and petty officers in a specific division. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2023 And, of course, there’s reliable Jones on hand to add earthiness as a credible career seaman with incurable cancer who regards his boat as his hospice. Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023 Behold the particularly fine seaman up there on the poop deck. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2023 Whether this person is connected to the sudden slaughter of all the livestock onboard, or the mysterious disappearances of several able-bodied seamen, is anyone’s guess. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of seaman was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near seaman

Cite this Entry

“Seaman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seaman. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

seaman

noun
sea·​man ˈsē-mən How to pronounce seaman (audio)
1
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

More from Merriam-Webster on seaman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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