ordinary seaman

noun

: a seaman of some experience but not as skilled as an able seaman

Examples of ordinary seaman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Under their terms, generally, captains were elected, the injured received recompense, and pay came in shares rather than in wages, with captains rarely getting more than twice what ordinary seamen did. Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024 After basic training, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ranger as an ordinary seaman. Mort Mazor, sun-sentinel.com, 11 Nov. 2021 Patrick Reed, previously dubbed Captain America for his Ryder Cup success and antics, was more of an ordinary seaman playing alongside Woods. Brian Costa, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ordinary seaman was in 1702

Dictionary Entries Near ordinary seaman

Cite this Entry

“Ordinary seaman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinary%20seaman. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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