Shipman

name, noun

name, noun ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Synonym of sailor.
  2. 2
    The master of a ship; shiplord. obsolete
  3. 3
    A labourer on a ship.
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname originating as an occupation.

Synonyms

All synonyms
bluejacketbuccaneerfishermanflying dutchmanheartyjack

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English schipman, from Old English scipmann (“shipman, mariner, sailor, rower; one who goes on trading voyages; pirate”). Cognate with Icelandic skipmaður, skipamaður (“shipman”). Equivalent to ship + -man. Compare English boatman.

Etymology 2

Either from sheep + man, or from shipman.

Related phrases

Shipman effect

More for "shipman"

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.