sailor

noun

sail·​or ˈsā-lər 

1

a

: one that sails

especially : mariner

b(1)

: a member of a ship's crew

(2)

: seaman sense 2b

2

: a traveler by water

3

: a stiff straw hat with a low flat crown and straight circular brim

Synonyms

• gob
• hearty
• jack
• jack-tar
• mariner
• navigator
• salt
• sea dog
• seafarer
• seaman
• shipman
• swab
• swabbie [slang]
• swabby
• tar

Examples of sailor in a Sentence

He worked as a sailor on a cargo ship.

the sailors were glad to be arriving in port after their long voyage

Recent Examples on the Web

The Savannah will be carrying a crew of 103 sailors and will not dock at the nearby Ream Naval Base, a site that has raised alarm in Washington and other Western capitals due to its potential use by Chinese military assets. —Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

When the armed men stationed at the pumps grabbed Lala and tried to add her to the captives inside, Franks and the cop busted in from the back, taking down a few bad guys and saving dozens of abducted women inside (including the one who’d been with the sailor). —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 9 Dec. 2024

A lot of this work used to be done by a ship’s sailors. —Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 9 Dec. 2024

The blast killed 18 sailors and punctured the hull. —Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of sailer

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sailor

• sailor collar
• sailor's-choice
• sailor suit

Kids Definition

sailor

noun

sail·​or ˈsā-lər 

: a person who sails : seaman