messmate

noun

mess·​mate ˈmes-ˌmāt How to pronounce messmate (audio)
: a person with whom one regularly takes mess (as on a ship)

Examples of messmate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the bacteria found inside those that received messmate microbes changed a lot. BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2019 As Rigg, an old friend of mine, later told me, Liebling put himself at ease during the pause, most notably as a messmate. Roger Angell, The New Yorker, 6 June 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of messmate was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near messmate

Cite this Entry

“Messmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/messmate. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

messmate

noun
mess·​mate ˈmes-ˌmāt How to pronounce messmate (audio)
: a member of a mess (as on a ship)

More from Merriam-Webster on messmate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!