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shipman

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shipman¹

Where it comes from

From Middle English schipman, from Old English scipmann (“shipman, mariner, sailor, rower; one who goes on trading voyages; pirate”). Cognate with Icelandic skipmaður, skipamaður (“shipman”). Equivalent to ship + -man. Compare English boatman.

noun shipmen · ship-man

  1. Synonym of sailor.

    Similar: sailor

  2. obsolete The master of a ship; shiplord.
  3. A labourer on a ship.

Shipman²

Where it comes from

Either from sheep + man, or from shipman.

proper noun

  1. A surname originating as an occupation.

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Cite this
MLA

"shipman." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/shipman. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

shipman. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/shipman

Chicago

"shipman." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/shipman.

BibTeX
@misc{shipman_2026,
  title = {shipman},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/shipman},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}