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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Glimpses of Magnús alone in his cabin on the boat, or his prickly interactions with insensitively prying shipmates, quietly reveal his gnawing sense of solitude. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 One of the Indonesian shipmates recalled a time when a North Korean colleague was finally allowed to go home. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 24 Feb. 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 17 Jun. 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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