noun

seaman

SEE-mun/ˈsiːmən/

A sailor, especially one below officer rank.

The seaman secures the ropes as the ship reaches port.

Young Filipino deck sailor in plain workwear hauling a ship rope under supervision, below-officer working role, no badges or writing.

Etymology

Sea and man identify someone whose work and voyages are on the sea. The general word for a sailor later acquired the narrower technical sense of someone below officer rank.

In context

Enhanced Public Domain138:18

up I stripped myself and waited till I came within a 100 yards off the boat after which I was forced to swim till I got up to it the Seaman threw me the end of the cord

1700s Satire: Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels (Audiobook)

More examples

She works as a seaman aboard a cargo ship.
The officer assigns three seamen to the night watch.
An experienced seaman teaches the new crew members to tie knots.

Forms

seaman · seamen

seamanship noun — Skill in handling and navigating ships.

Similar words

sailor: Refers broadly to someone who sails, regardless of rank.
mariner: A more formal term, without the same emphasis on rank.