sailor
UK /ˈseɪ.lə/ · US /ˈseɪ.lɚ/ noun, proper noun
Forms sailors sailour
- noun A person who sails; one whose occupation is sailing or navigating ships or other waterborne craft. “He's a talented sailor and has spent many years at sea.”
- noun In particular, a member of the crew of a (civilian or military) vessel, as opposed to a captain, admiral, etc.; a mariner; a common seaman.
- noun A person who sails sailing boats (as opposed to boats powered by other means) as a sport or recreation.
- noun Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera Neptis, Pseudoneptis and Phaedyma, having white markings on a dark base and commonly flying by gliding.
- noun A stiff straw hat with a flat, circular brim and a low, flat crown.
- noun A brick, for example in a course of brickwork, that is laid vertically on its shortest end (smallest face), with its widest face facing the outside of the wall.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
seafarer seaman mariner jack tar jacktar lobscouser matelot Neptunian Neptunist salt shipman squid swab swabby waterman crewman bluejacket navy man sailor boy boater leghorn Panama Panama hat skimmer straw hat
Antonyms
Etymology
Alteration of earlier sailer, from Middle English sailer, sayler, saylere, equivalent to sail + -or. Cognate with German Segler (“sailor”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English marinel, marynell (“sailor”) borrowed from Old French marinel (“sailor”). See mariner.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One who follows the business of navigating ships or other vessels; one who understands the practical management of ships; one of the crew of a vessel; a mariner; a common seaman.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sailor”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details