sailor

[ sey-ler ]
/ ˈseɪ lər /

noun

a person whose occupation is sailing or navigation; mariner.
a seaman below the rank of officer.
a naval enlistee.
a person adept at sailing, especially with reference to freedom from seasickness: He was such a bad sailor that he always traveled to Europe by plane.
a flat-brimmed straw hat with a low, flat crown.

Origin of sailor

1540–50; earlier sailer; see sail, -or2

SYNONYMS FOR sailor

1 seafarer. Sailor, mariner, salt, seaman, tar are terms for a person who leads a seafaring life. A sailor or seaman is one whose occupation is on board a ship at sea, especially a member of a ship's crew below the rank of petty officer: a sailor before the mast; an able-bodied seaman. Mariner is a term now found only in certain technical expressions: master mariner (captain in merchant service); mariner's compass (ordinary compass as used on ships); formerly used much as “sailor” or “seafaring man,” now the word seems elevated or quaint: Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Salt and tar are informal terms for old and experienced sailors: an old salt; a jolly tar.

OTHER WORDS FROM sailor

sail·or·like, adjective sail·or·ly, adjective non·sail·or, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sailor

sailer sailor (see synonym study at the current entry)

Example sentences from the Web for sailor

British Dictionary definitions for sailor

sailor
/ (ˈseɪlə) /

noun

any member of a ship's crew, esp one below the rank of officer
a person who sails, esp with reference to the likelihood of his becoming seasick a good sailor
short for sailor hat, sailor suit

Derived forms of sailor

sailorly, adjective