waterman

noun

wa·​ter·​man ˈwȯ-tər-mən How to pronounce waterman (audio)
ˈwä-
: one who works or lives on the water: such as
a
: a man who makes his living from the water (as by fishing)
b
: a boatman who plies for hire usually on inland waters or harbors

Examples of waterman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Andrea Conrad, who owns the restaurant with her husband, waterman Tony Conrad, and business partner Joe Lancelotta, is wholly unfazed by whispers of a curse. Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 16 Aug. 2023 Oysters are a $27 million-a-year industry in Maryland, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and increasing their numbers is essential to the watermen and processors who collect and prepare them. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 25 July 2023 The board includes the state’s secretary of natural resources and secretary of commerce, but reserves seats for commercial watermen and fishermen, as well as others in the private sector to be appointed by the governor, according to the order. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 21 July 2023 His foundation, incorporated in 1999, grew out of his efforts since the 1980s to preserve the history of Black watermen, crab pickers and others who lived on and worked the bay. Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, 3 June 2023 Wesley Bradshaw, a 78-year-old island native and retired waterman, said he’s noticed the change. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 5 July 2023 Luckily, there are plenty of ways for visitors to work up an appetite, from kayaking and canoeing the Smith Island trails (a ferry to the island leaves daily during the summer), to hiking to touring the island museum, with its exhibits on the waterman’s way of life. Mary Carole McCauley, baltimoresun.com, 18 May 2021 Though known as a fearless waterman, Aikau was also a talented musician. Meimei Fox, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022 Kala Alexander: Alexander is a professional waterman and actor. Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2014 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waterman.' 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

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of waterman was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near waterman

Cite this Entry

“Waterman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waterman. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

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