shipmate

noun

ship·​mate ˈship-ˌmāt How to pronounce shipmate (audio)
: a fellow sailor

Examples of shipmate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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According to the Navy, Peterson kept the ship operational and was credited with saving the lives of 123 of his shipmates before succumbing to his injuries. Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 27 June 2025 As with 1492: Conquest of Paradise four years earlier, Scott drinks in the majesty of open water, but the film doesn’t come fully to life until the title sequence, when the now-skilled and confident shipmates are humbled mercilessly by Mother Nature. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024 And his castaway shipmate has marvelously oversized whiskers, formidable fangs and a ravenous appetite. Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 5 June 2025 While the boorish behavior of Twain’s shipmates is cataloged throughout (snapping off pieces of ancient monuments for souvenirs, for instance), his most flamboyant portrayal is a self-portrait. Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for shipmate

Word History

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shipmate was in 1748

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Cite this Entry

“Shipmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shipmate. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

shipmate

noun
ship·​mate -ˌmāt How to pronounce shipmate (audio)
: a fellow sailor

More from Merriam-Webster on shipmate

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