seaman

¹

[ see-muhn ]

noun

, plural sea·men.

1. a person skilled in seamanship.
2. a person whose trade or occupation is assisting in the handling, sailing, and navigating of a ship during a voyage, especially one below the rank of officer; sailor.
3. U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. an enlisted person ranking below petty officer.

Seaman

²

[ see-muhn ]

noun

1. Elizabeth Coch·rane [kok, -r, uh, n], original name of Nellie Bly.

seaman

/ ˈsiːmən /

noun

1. a rating trained in seamanship as opposed to electrical engineering, etc
2. a man who serves as a sailor
3. a person skilled in seamanship

Derived Forms

• ˈseaman-ˌlike, adjective
• ˈseamanly, adjectiveadverb

Other Words From

• super·seaman noun plural superseamen

Word History and Origins

Origin of seaman¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English seeman, Old English sǣmann. See sea, man

Synonym Study

See sailor.

Example Sentences

Michael Owen gave them the lead but goalkeeper David Seaman's error proved decisive when he was caught badly out of position from Ronaldinho's free-kick to give the eventual World Cup winners a 2-1 victory.

From BBC

Does holding a commission necessarily mean a candidate is better suited to elective office than one who was a noncommissioned officer or a PFC or Seaman Apprentice?

From Salon

Ms Seaman had a covert intra-abdominal hemorrhage and was bleeding for hours, but she was incorrectly treated for possible dehydration and given biscuits, the court heard.

From BBC

"Able Seamen do not get piped aboard ship," the Royal Navy said.

From BBC

The school board ultimately voted unanimously to renounce Seaman and his KKK activities but to keep the name.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• mariner