the.com/seaman
A seaman is a trained sailor who works and helps navigate a ship, often in the navy.
means A person who serves as a sailor, especially in a navy, trained in the skills of working and navigating a ship.
from Simply 'sea' plus 'man' — a transparent Old English compound (sæmann) meaning exactly what it says: a man of the sea. It's been in continuous use for over a thousand years, long before anyone snickered at it, naming sailors, mariners, and naval ranks with zero cleverness intended — the joke arrived later, courtesy of English's unrelated word for the stuff of reproduction, which just happens to be a homophone.
- actual meaning
- entry-level naval rank below petty officer
- dreamcast cult
- 1999 game starred a talking fish called Seaman
- navy reality
- recruits endure the jokes before earning the rank
- rank ladder
- seaman recruit, apprentice, then seaman proper