merchantman

noun

mer·​chant·​man ˈmər-chənt-mən How to pronounce merchantman (audio)
1
archaic : merchant
2
: a ship used in commerce

Examples of merchantman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These preyed upon American merchantmen who either payed tribute or showed forged British passes. Thomas Wendel, National Review, 4 July 2019 The Navy already has ships in the fleet that are former merchantmen. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 10 Jan. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'merchantman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of merchantman was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near merchantman

Cite this Entry

“Merchantman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merchantman. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

merchantman

noun
mer·​chant·​man ˈmər-chənt-mən How to pronounce merchantman (audio)
: a ship used in trade

More from Merriam-Webster on merchantman

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