sailor

Meaning

Noun

• A person in the business of navigating ships or other vessels
• Someone knowledgeable in the practical management of ships.
• A member of the crew of a vessel; a mariner; a common seaman.
• A person who sails sailing boats as a sport or recreation.
• Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genera Neptis (genus), Pseudoneptis (genus) and Phaedyma (genus), having white markings on a dark base and commonly flying by gliding.

Origin

• Alteration of earlier sailer, from Middle English sailer, sayler, saylere, equivalent to sail + -or. Cognate with German Segler. Eclipsed non-native Middle English marinel, marynell borrowed from Old French marinel. See mariner.