shipman

1 9.9

A sailor who works on a ship

noun
/ˈʃɪpmən/

Archaic

: marinero

As a young boy, my grandfather often recounted stories of his days as a shipman sailing across the oceans.

Examples

Through the goggles, Bobby Vu and the others were met by a shipman and led to the far end of the boat.

Fiction book (1999)
I am a shipman, Sievers.

Nosferatu (2024)
The shipman skillfully navigated the vessel through the stormy waters, ensuring the crew's safety.
Every summer, he worked as a shipman on the fishing boats, learning the ropes of maritime life.

Synonyms

sailor

vsshipman

233 1.0

A person who works on a ship as a crew member but not an officer

is an older out of use word rather than the common modern name

crewman

vsshipman

61 3.2

A person who works with others on a ship, aircraft, or vehicle

is older and refers to someone working on a ship not any crew member

seaman

vsshipman

50 2.8

A person who works on a ship as a crew member below the officers

is an older dated word rather than the current common term

helmsman

vsshipman

12 7.7

A person who steers a ship or boat

is an older general word rather than a term for the steering specialist

mariner

vsshipman

11 6.0

A person who works on a ship at sea

is an older dated word rather than a neutral technical name

deckhand

vsshipman

5 5.7

A crew member who does physical work on a ship's deck

is an older general word rather than naming this unskilled deck role

able seaman

vsshipman

Jargon

3 7.1

A sailor who is trained and has a certificate to work on a ship's deck

is an old fashioned general word rather than a specific skilled rating

seafarer

vsshipman

2 4.8

A person who works or travels at sea, like a sailor

is an old fashioned word used especially for those serving on a ship

sailor boy

vsshipman

2 3.9

A young man who serves in the navy

is an older general word rather than a term for a young male crew

tar

vsshipman

Archaic

1 9.9

An old informal name for a sailor who works on ships

is specifically an old fashioned word rather than casual speech

able-bodied seaman

vsshipman

Jargon

1 6.6

A trained, skilled sailor on a merchant ship who helps with navigation and lifeboats

is an older general word rather than a term for this trained rating

topman

vsshipman

Archaic

1 9.9

A sailor who works high on a ship's mast to handle sails and ropes

is an older general word rather than naming this specific rigging role

waister

vsshipman

Archaic

1 9.9

A sailor who works on the main deck of a ship

is an older general word rather than a role limited to one deck area

swabbie

vsshipman

Archaic

1 9.8

A sailor who cleans and cares for a ship

is an older general word rather than a slang name for cleaning crew

wheelsman

vsshipman

Jargon

1 7.9

A person who steers a boat or ship by using the wheel

is an older general word rather than naming the wheel operator

swabby

vsshipman

Archaic

1 9.9

A sailor who cleans the ship, for example the deck

is an older general word rather than this casual cleaning role name

able-bodied sailor

vsshipman

Jargon

1 5.4

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

is an older general word rather than a modern professional rank

deckie

vsshipman

Jargon

9.3

A person who works on the deck of a ship

is an older general word rather than a casual slang name for deck workers

Surface Forms

shipman singular

shipmen plural

Morphology

shipman = ship + man (transparent) = ship + man

The meaning 'a sailor or seaman working on a ship' follows directly from the compound of 'ship' and 'man'.

Etymology

Shipman comes from Old English parts ship 'boat' and man 'person', and it was used for anyone who worked on a ship. So a shipman was simply a sailor or seaman.