sailor

[sey-ler]

noun

1. a person whose occupation is sailing or navigation; mariner.

   Synonyms: seafarer
   Antonyms: landlubber

2. a seaman below the rank of officer.

3. a naval enlistee.

4. a person adept at sailing, especially with reference to freedom from seasickness.

   He was such a bad sailor that he always traveled to Europe by plane.

5. a flat-brimmed straw hat with a low, flat crown.

sailor

/ ˈseɪlə /

noun

1. any member of a ship's crew, esp one below the rank of officer

2. a person who sails, esp with reference to the likelihood of his becoming seasick

   a good sailor

3. short for sailor hat sailor suit

Other Word Forms

• sailorly adjective
• sailorlike adjective
• nonsailor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sailor¹

First recorded in 1540–50; earlier sailer; sail, -or ²

Synonym Study

Sailor, mariner, salt, seaman, tar are terms for a person who leads a seafaring life. A sailor or seaman is one whose occupation is on board a ship at sea, especially a member of a ship's crew below the rank of petty officer: a sailor before the mast; an able-bodied seaman. Mariner is a term now found only in certain technical expressions: master mariner (captain in merchant service); mariner's compass (ordinary compass as used on ships); formerly used much as “sailor” or “seafaring man,” now the word seems elevated or quaint: Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Salt and tar are informal terms for old and experienced sailors: an old salt; a jolly tar.

Example Sentences

The US military has moved to bolster its forces in the southern Caribbean over the last two months, including through the deployment of additional naval vessels and thousands of US Marines and sailors.

From BBC

The buildup reportedly includes more than a half-dozen warships, including at least one submarine, and thousands of Marines and sailors.

From Los Angeles Times

As if to underscore the point, the Pentagon ordered 4,000 Marines and sailors to the waters of Latin America and the Caribbean, alongside Navy destroyers, reconnaissance aircraft and a nuclear-powered missile cruiser.

From Los Angeles Times

A new species of dinosaur that had an "eye-catching sail" along its back has been named after sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur.

From BBC

A US Navy sailor in California has been convicted of espionage for selling the force's secrets to a Chinese agent who recruited him through social media.

From BBC

Related Words

• boater 
• cadet 
• diver 
• marine 
• pilot