matelot


matelot

(ˈmætləʊ) ,

matlo

or

matlow

n (Nautical Terms) slang chiefly Brit a sailor[C20: from French]

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.