jack-tar

noun

ˈjak-ˈtär How to pronounce jack-tar (audio)
Definition of jack-tarnext
as in sailor
one who operates or navigates a seagoing vessel a jack-tar swabbing the deck under the critical eye of the first mate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jack-tar
  1. sailor
  2. mariner
  3. navigator
Noun
  • In another favorite photo, a young Black sailor blows smoke into the air.
    — Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Nearly two dozen sailors from many countries were either killed or are missing.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sailor
Noun
  • Seas will also begin to lower as the nor'easter pulls away, but inexperienced mariners and small vessels are encouraged to stay docked on Monday as rough seas and gusty winds are still likely.
    — Sarah Wroblewski, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • For example, Kingsborough Community College, located in South Brooklyn, where the Sheepshead and Jamaica Bays meet the Atlantic Ocean, operates a maritime technology program that is training the next generation of local mariners.
    — Julie Raskin, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of mariner
Noun
  • Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished during one of the final stretches of their trip after departing Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Celestial navigators who do this will need to account for the growing difference between UTC and UT1 when determining their precise position on Earth.
    — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of navigator
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

jacks (up)
jack-tar
jack-tars
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jack-tar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jack-tar. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All