matelot
/ˈmæt.ləʊ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.13 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A sailor.
noun
A mate; a boon companion.
adj
Associated with or typical of sailors.
Example Sentences
- "Nor were they long finding what they sought for; first the grub matter was hunted up, and go where you would, you was sure to meet lots of Matelo’s [matelots—sailors] wending their way to their various quarters, loaded to the bends with what they called Belly Timber."
- "“‘Hellow,” says Jimmy, “here’s some dunnage as has belonged to some poor matelo’,” and with that he picks out a wad of somethin’ and begins for to open it."
- "Matlo, name used to describe themselves by British bluejackets. Falling into disuse. Corruption of the French matelot."
- "A sailor would refer to a soldier as a ‘“leatherneck," and a soldier would call a sailor a “flat-footed matlow.” […] I must really congratulate you upon the collectlve composition of your guests. First, we have the “flat-footed matlow” (laughter), who has aspirations that must be satisfied in this incarnation or in another"
- "[…] a chief petty officer, snarled something under his breath about bloody 'am-fisted matelots […]"
- "So far as the average matelot was concerned, there was little romanticism about the preference for frigates, destroyers, frail E-boats that could be blown up with one well-aimed cannon, and submarines, those breeding grounds of TB and madness."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: matelot