aquanaut
noun
aqua·naut
ˈä-kwə-ˌnȯt 
ˈa-,
-ˌnät
: a scuba diver who lives and operates both inside and outside an underwater shelter for an extended period
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Aquanaut Has Greek Roots
Aquanaut combines aqua with the Greek nautes, meaning "sailor". Like astronaut and aeronaut, the word may remind you of those mythical Greek heroes known as the Argonauts, who sailed with Jason on his ship, the Argo, in quest of the Golden Fleece. Various underwater habitats for aquanauts, such as Conshelf, SEALAB, and MarineLab, have captured the public imagination since the 1960s.
Examples of aquanaut in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The massive helmets, which are significantly larger than the copper domes associated with classic aquanauts.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2025
Sealab was a Navy project to see if aquanauts could live undersea for extended periods.
—Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 6 Feb. 2025
Earle led the first all-female team of aquanauts during the Tektite project in 1970, spending two weeks living underwater.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
The command ship’s first task was to find the deepest part of the Challenger Deep to ensure proper bragging rights for the aquanauts.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Feb. 2012
Though Earle had applied for earlier missions in the Tektite program, women were excluded from participating; Earle's mission, Mission 6, was an all-female team of aquanauts.
—Stefanie Waldek, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2023
The vehicle had dropped to about 9400 meters when a loud bang reverberated through the cabin, shaking the two aquanauts inside.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Feb. 2012
The Continental Shelf program ran for several years and allowed aquanauts to live under the water off France and in the Red Sea.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 10 May 2023
In 2002, Meir joined NASA’s aquanaut program, living under the surface of the ocean for five days.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2020
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David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2025
Sealab was a Navy project to see if aquanauts could live undersea for extended periods.
—Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 6 Feb. 2025
Earle led the first all-female team of aquanauts during the Tektite project in 1970, spending two weeks living underwater.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
The command ship’s first task was to find the deepest part of the Challenger Deep to ensure proper bragging rights for the aquanauts.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Feb. 2012
Though Earle had applied for earlier missions in the Tektite program, women were excluded from participating; Earle's mission, Mission 6, was an all-female team of aquanauts.
—Stefanie Waldek, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2023
The vehicle had dropped to about 9400 meters when a loud bang reverberated through the cabin, shaking the two aquanauts inside.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Feb. 2012
The Continental Shelf program ran for several years and allowed aquanauts to live under the water off France and in the Red Sea.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 10 May 2023
In 2002, Meir joined NASA’s aquanaut program, living under the surface of the ocean for five days.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Aquanaut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aquanaut. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aquanaut
noun
aqua·naut
ˈak-wə-ˌnȯt
ˈäk-
: a person who lives for a long while in an underwater shelter used as a base for research
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