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sailor girl

sailor girl

4.6
A woman who works on a ship, often in the navy
  • noun
  • /ˈseɪlər ɡɜrl/
translation icon : marinera
  • During the ceremony, the sailor girl received her uniform and badge from the captain.

Examples

  • As a sailor girl, she felt a deep sense of duty to protect her country at sea.

  • "Gregg tells Judy, "So you're the one who wants to be a sailor girl."

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Beau carried Pearl, who looked adorable in the little sailor girl P217 outfit we had bought her.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The sailor girl stood proudly on the ship, ready to embark on her first mission.

Synonyms

sailor
vssailor girl
78 2.3

A person who works in the navy on a military ship

specifies a female individual serving in the same naval crew
mariner
vssailor girl
53 6.0

A person who works on a ship at sea

specifies a female who serves within the naval forces rather than general seafaring
navy woman
vssailor girl
2.6

A woman who works in the military at sea

has identical meaning but emphasizes the occupational term rather than membership
midshipwoman
vssailor girl
  • UK
9.9

A woman training to be a navy officer holding a junior rank

is a general female sailor rather than an officer in training
able-bodied seawoman
vssailor girl
  • Jargon
9.0

A woman sailor on a merchant ship who is fully trained in deck and safety duties

refers to a female serving specifically in the naval forces, not merchant service
able seawoman
vssailor girl
  • Jargon
8.6

A woman sailor trained and qualified for special duties on a ship

implies service in naval forces rather than merchant ships
able-bodied sailor
vssailor girl
  • Jargon
5.4

A person on a ship who is fully trained to do all normal jobs

focuses on a female serving in the naval service rather than merchant shipping
crewwoman
vssailor girl
4.8

A woman who works with others on a ship, plane, or film set

means a female serving in naval ships rather than in other crew contexts

How Senior

officer
77 3.1
petty officer
  • Specialized
10 4.8
sailor
308 1.0
sailor girl
4.6
recruit
149 3.6

Surface Forms

sailor girl singular
sailor girls plural

Morphology

sailor + girl

The meaning 'a female sailor' is directly and compositionally derived from 'sailor' (naval crew member) + 'girl' (female person), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the compound denotes a female sailor. The noun+noun/attributive pattern is common across languages and English, making the expression transparently interpretable despite minor register nuances in using 'girl' for an adult woman.

Etymology

Sailor girl may come from the simple picture of a girl in a sailor uniform or a young woman working on a ship. That's why the phrase means 'a female sailor'.