Shipmate

Shipmate

:"For the United States Naval Academy's Alumni Magazine, see Shipmate (magazine)."

A shipmate is literally a mate on one's own ship, ie. a member of the same ship.

Typically the term 'shipmate' is used amongst sailors as a generic name for those who are not on a name-to-name basis with each other. Because many ships have hundreds, if not thousands, of crew members aboard; shipmate is a universally acceptable name for all crew members. Within the United States Navy it serves as a convenient and respectful way to address other crew members when rank or naval rating is not immediately obvious. It also serves as a more professional expression in lieu of vernacular words such as 'dude', 'man', and 'bro'.

In the United States Navy, one earns the name of a shipmate when he or she graduates from Recruit Training Command (or 'boot camp'). Prior to graduation from boot camp, only the term 'recruit' is used - a term that is considered for the most part derogatory. Earning the term 'shipmate' is a great honor for all new sailors in the U.S. Navy.

Usage in literature

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, a popular maritime novel, is laced with the term, although the narrator Ishmael seldom uses the word: "This man interested me at once; and since the sea-gods had ordained that he should soon become my "shipmate" (though but a sleeping partner one, so far as this narrative is concerned), I will here venture upon a little description of him." [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext01/moby10b.txt]

Usage in contemporary maritime dialogue

One might refer to a fellow crew member by saying, "He and I were shipmates before reporting for duty here in Norfolk." The word is used in this sense in the old song "Don't Forget Your Old Shipmates".

When getting the attention of a fellow sailor, one might simply call out "Shipmate!" or "Hey, shipmate!"

When speaking to a group or crowd of sailors, i.e. "My fellow shipmates..."

References

* [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext01/moby10b.txt Melville, Herman.]
* [http://www.chandlery.co.uk Shipmates Chandlers Ltd]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Shipmate — Ship mate , n. One who serves on board of the same ship with another; a fellow sailor. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shipmate — ► NOUN ▪ a fellow member of a ship s crew …   English terms dictionary

  • shipmate — [ship′māt΄] n. a fellow sailor on the same ship …   English World dictionary

  • shipmate — UK [ˈʃɪpˌmeɪt] / US noun [countable] Word forms shipmate : singular shipmate plural shipmates a sailor who works together with another sailor on the same ship …   English dictionary

  • shipmate — noun a) A fellow sailor serving on the same ship as another. 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… …   Wiktionary

  • shipmate — ship|mate [ˈʃıpmeıt] n a ↑sailor s shipmate is another sailor who is working on the same ship …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • shipmate — noun (C) a sailor s shipmate is another sailor who is working on the same ship …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • shipmate —    One of the more interesting uses of this vocative in literature occurs in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Ishmael attends the Whalemen’s Chapel in New Bedford and hears the sermon delivered by Father Mapple, a former sailor and harpooneer turned… …   A dictionary of epithets and terms of address

  • Shipmate (magazine) — Shipmate is the official magazine of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and is distributed world wide to the living graduates of the United States Naval Academy.External links* [https://www.usna.com/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?… …   Wikipedia

  • shipmate — noun Date: 1748 a fellow sailor …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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