landsman

1
[ landz-muhn ]
See synonyms for landsman on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural lands·men.
  1. Also landman. a person who lives or works on land.

  2. an inexperienced sailor or one who has not been to sea before.

Origin of landsman

1
before 1000 for sense “native”; Middle English landes man, londes man,Old English landes mann;see land, 's1, -man

usage note For landsman

See -man.

Words Nearby landsman

Other definitions for landsman (2 of 2)

landsman2
[ lahnts-muhn ]

noun,plural lands·leit [lahnts-lahyt], /ˈlɑnts laɪt/, English lands·men.Yiddish.
  1. a person from the same town, geographical area, region, etc., as another; compatriot.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use landsman in a sentence

  • There is no landsman in the ship now exposed to its dangers.

    The Land of Fire | Mayne Reid
  • And yet they paused and looked about in quickened perception, with the clutch at the throat that takes the landsman on big waters.

  • Helped by pluck, I thought to myself, as I tried with my landsman's fancy to conjure up that perilous scene.

    The Riddle of the Sands | Erskine Childers
  • The officers were most friendly and did everything possible to make things comfortable for a landsman in their limited quarters.

    War in the Garden of Eden | Kermit Roosevelt
  • He trusted to his Pilot, like the landsman in a storm; to his Father, as an infant in the dark.

British Dictionary definitions for landsman (1 of 2)

landsman1

/ (ˈlændzmən) /


nounplural -men
  1. a person who works or lives on land, as distinguished from a seaman

  2. a person with no experience at sea

British Dictionary definitions for landsman (2 of 2)

landsman2

/ (ˈlændzmən) /


nounplural -men
  1. a Jewish compatriot from the same area of origin as another

Origin of landsman

2
from Yiddish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012