matelot
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matelot
(ˈmætləʊ) ,matlo
ormatlow
n
(Nautical Terms) slang chiefly Brit a sailor
[C20: from French]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sail•or
(ˈseɪ lər)n.
1. a person whose occupation is sailing or navigation; mariner.
2. a seaman below the rank of officer.
3. a naval enlistee.
4. a flat-brimmed straw hat with a low flat crown.
[1540–50; earlier sailer]
syn: sailor, seaman, mariner, salt are terms for a person who leads a seafaring life. A sailor or seaman is one whose occupation is on board a ship at sea, esp. a member of a ship's crew below the rank of petty officer: a sailor before the mast; an able-bodied seaman. mariner is a term found in certain technical expressions: mariner's compass (ordinary compass as used on ships); the word now seems elevated or quaint: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. salt is an informal term for an experienced sailor: an old salt.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.