seaman

noun

sea·​man ˈsē-mən How to pronounce seaman (audio)
1
2
a
: any of the three ranks below petty officer in the navy or coast guard
b
: an enlisted man in the navy or coast guard ranking above a seaman apprentice and below a petty officer

Examples of seaman in a Sentence

a weathered old seaman who now captains a tour boat
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.
The year is 1600 and a stubborn British seaman piloting a Dutch ship washes ashore in Japan. Nina Metz, The Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2024 Wilkerson read extensively about the Black Jacks, free and enslaved Black seamen who manned ships during the 18th and 19th centuries, as research. Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025 Setting things in motion was the dropping off of a drunk seaman at NIS, by a Shore Patrol officer who was in a rush to a hot date and didn’t have time for a proper handoff to the MPs. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 9 Dec. 2024 According to the Navy, the seaman was born June 15, 1918, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 6 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for seaman

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seaman was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Seaman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seaman. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

seaman

noun
sea·​man ˈsē-mən How to pronounce seaman (audio)
1
2
: a naval enlisted person with a rank below those of petty officers
especially : an enlisted person with a rank just below that of petty officer third class

More from Merriam-Webster on seaman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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