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

Government as a protector of health goes way back The U.S. public health service got its start in the 1700s service cared for seamen who were sick or injured. —Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 13 May 2025

Lunde had joined the merchant fleet as a seaman in 1934. —Heather Farmbrough, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

Three of the Indonesian seamen also spoke separately to The New York Times. —Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025

Captains and seamen alike reaped the benefits of having these scientists on board with them. —Will McGough, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for seaman

• beeman
• daemon
• demon
• leman
• niemann
• seamen
• semen
• enginemen

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