waterman

wa·ter·man | \ ˈwȯ-tər-mən

How to pronounce waterman (audio)

, ˈwä- \

Definition of waterman

: 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 Black mariners, watermen, and loggers crossed borders, official and unofficial, with relative ease. — BostonGlobe.com, "Climate change is wiping out Harriet Tubman’s homeland, and we’re doing little - The Boston Globe," 25 Oct. 2019 Spoores and Carney are experienced watermen (MST stands for mountains, streams, and trails, and the duo play on all three), plus Carney is a photographer, so the memories are preserved for posterity and social media. — Fortune, "The Best Way to Watch the World’s Largest Hot Air Balloon Festival," 28 Sep. 2019 Business has dropped because the watermen stopped coming in for sandwiches, slices of hummingbird cake, the odd wrench or crabbing boots. — Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, "Many Maryland watermen deny the crab crisis is Trump’s fault. Except it is.," 7 May 2018 In the 1980s, crab houses started bringing workers from Mexico through a program that lets them live and work in the United States during the warmer months and then return to Mexico in the winter, when watermen are prohibited from crabbing. — Scott Dance, Washington Post, "Crab crisis: Md. seafood industry loses 40 percent of workforce in visa lottery," 3 May 2018 In a typical year, Maryland watermen sell more than 30 million pounds of crabs, about $55 million worth at docks around the Chesapeake Bay. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "After July Fourth crab feasts, an uncertain season for Maryland seafood industry," 6 July 2018 Venezuelan crab meat was already a concern for many Maryland watermen, but not for health reasons — the imports are major competitors to local seafood. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Marylanders warned to avoid Venezuelan crab meat after nine sickened by Vibrio bacteria," 7 July 2018 Some past fish kills have been epic in proportions: In 1997, an outbreak of Pfisteria caused lesions in fish as well as health problems in watermen. — Christina Tkacik, Washington Post, "Maryland officials investigate fish kill in Baltimore Harbor," 1 May 2018 Springtime has always been rife with hazard for the watermen of the Chesapeake. — Earl Swift, Outside Online, "The Incredible True Story of the Henrietta C.," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'waterman.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Waterman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waterman?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=w&file=waterm01. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.

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