sailor

noun

sail·​or ˈsā-lər How to pronounce sailor (audio)
1
a
: one that sails
especially : mariner
b(1)
: a member of a ship's crew
2
: a traveler by water
3
: a stiff straw hat with a low flat crown and straight circular brim

Examples of sailor in a Sentence

He worked as a sailor on a cargo ship. the sailors were glad to be arriving in port after their long voyage
Recent Examples on the Web Every night of the week, ladies come into the city to dance the night away with the visiting sailors, but the sailors have to leave before midnight to get back to their ships, as their ‘Cinderella liberty’ comes to an end. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 Ron Mitchell, a 30-year-old sailor; Atiba Stanislaus, a 25-year-old farmer; and Trevon Robertson, a 23-year-old unemployed man, were charged with capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping. CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 Quaid’s role, a naive sailor sentenced to eight years’ time for a petty offense, nearly went to John Travolta. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 On Thursday, the 29-year-old sailor become the first American woman to circumnavigate the globe alone and nonstop, The Washington Post reported. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 Cole Brauer, a sailor from Maine, has become the first American woman to sail nonstop around the world solo. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 In 2015, the Navy began the process of identifying sailors killed aboard the USS Oklahoma. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 7 Mar. 2024 But then there’s nothing defensible about boiling a helpless sailor to death, either. Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 As the sun set on this classic race, lifelong friendships formed out of an abundance of competitive spirit and camaraderie, the sailors ended the event on high notes. Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

alteration of sailer

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sailor was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near sailor

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

sailor

noun
sail·​or ˈsā-lər How to pronounce sailor (audio)
: a person who sails : seaman

More from Merriam-Webster on sailor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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