merchant marine

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Noun

[edit]

merchant marine (plural merchant marines)

  1. (countable) Synonym of merchant navy: a fleet of commercial vessels.
  2. (countable) Synonym of merchant ship: a single vessel in such a fleet.
    • 1923 May 28, “Captain Dollar Speaks”, in Time:
      Captain Robert Dollar of San Francisco, dean of American ship owners, [] is still, although nearly 80, the eager champion of an American privately owned merchant marine.
  3. (countable, proscribed, nonstandard) Synonym of merchant mariner: a sailor in such a fleet.

Usage notes

[edit]

The merchant mariner sense is a catachresis born of misconception, influenced by the notion that as a marine is a naval infantryman, a merchant marine would be a single commercial sailor; thus come catachrestic phrases such as he joined the merchant marines [sic]. But the sense is common enough that it is often accepted politely without objection in casual conversation.

Translations

[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.