Dictionary

shipmate en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈʃɪpˌmeɪt/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈʃɪpmɪt/ (obsolete)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sek-? Proto-Indo-European *-éyti Proto-Indo-European *skey-der.? Proto-Germanic *skipą Proto-West Germanic *skip Old English scip Middle English schip English ship Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Germanic *ga- Proto-Germanic *matiz Proto-Germanic *matjô Proto-West Germanic *gamatjôder. Old Saxon gimatoder. Middle Low German matebor. Middle English mate English mate English -mate English shipmate From ship + -mate.

Meanings

1. A fellow sailor serving on the same ship as another.
   • But the feeling certainly does not extend to a shipmate who dobs his cobber in for a draft from a happy ship! 1960, J. E. Macdonnell, Don't Gimme the Ships, Melbourne: Horwitz Publications, page 49:
   • "And who else?" returned the other, getting more at his ease. "Black Dog as ever was, come for to see his old shipmate Billy, at the 'Admiral Benbow' inn. Ah, Bill, Bill, we have seen a sight of times, us two, since I lost them two talons," holding up his mutilated hand. 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
2. (informal) Any sailor (when used as a form of address by a sailor).

Forms