What does "sailor" mean?
A person who sails; one whose occupation is sailing or navigating ships or other waterborne craft.
Sailor
/ˈseɪ.lɚ/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who sails; one whose occupation is sailing or navigating ships or other waterborne craft.
- Grammar: sailor is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: mariner, seafarer, seaman, ab.
- Useful contrasts: landlubber, landlubbers, landman.
- Usage evidence: A sailor frequently has no time to get his sea legs after leaving port before a battle starts.
How to use "sailor"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sailor" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sailor" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sailor" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sailor" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sailor" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mariner" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sailor", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who sails; one whose occupation is sailing or navigating ships or other waterborne craft.
"He's a talented sailor and has spent many years at sea."
- 2 a stiff hat made of straw with a flat crown wordnet
- 3 A person who sails; one whose occupation is sailing or navigating ships or other waterborne craft.; In particular, a member of the crew of a (civilian or military) vessel, as opposed to a captain, admiral, etc.; a mariner; a common seaman.
"Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, […] naval officers of all countries, and the Governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter."
- 4 a serviceman in the navy wordnet
- 5 A person who sails; one whose occupation is sailing or navigating ships or other waterborne craft.; A person who sails sailing boats (as opposed to boats powered by other means) as a sport or recreation.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 any member of a ship's crew wordnet
- 7 Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera Neptis, Pseudoneptis and Phaedyma, having white markings on a dark base and commonly flying by gliding.
- 8 A stiff straw hat with a flat, circular brim and a low, flat crown.
"Straw Sailors. Children's large-leaf straw sailors, in new shapes, smooth or rough straw . Sizes 6 to 64. 80c, $1.00, $1.50 and $2.00. Milan sailors in new, large shapes, with white or cream ribbon."
- 9 A brick, for example in a course of brickwork, that is laid vertically on its shortest end (smallest face), with its widest face facing the outside of the wall.
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"A sailor frequently has no time to get his sea legs after leaving port before a battle starts."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sailor"?
Common synonyms include: mariner, seafarer, seaman, ab, able seaman, able-bodied seaman.
How do you use "sailor" in a sentence?
A sailor frequently has no time to get his sea legs after leaving port before a battle starts.
How do you pronounce "sailor"?
Pronounced /ˈseɪ.lɚ/.
Etymology
Alteration of earlier sailer, from Middle English sailer, sayler, saylere, equivalent to sail + -or. Cognate with German Segler (“sailor”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English marinel, marynell (“sailor”) borrowed from Old French marinel (“sailor”). See mariner.