matelot
/ˈmatləʊ
/noun British informal
A sailor.TV chiefs are to hold a talent contest to find the best singing sailors, matelots, seamen and ship-hands in the country, and offer them a top music contract by way of a prize....
- The torpedo broke the destroyer's back, causing her to sink in 15 seconds and thus consigning hundreds of exhausted troops and matelots to their deaths.
- And the skill of sailing is matched in these young modern matelots by the skill of recovery from the capsize.
Origin
Mid 19th century (nautical slang): from French, variant of matenot, from Middle Dutch mattenoot 'bed companion', because sailors had to share hammocks in twos.
- play oneself in
- play (or act) the fool
- play (or keep) one's cards close to one's chest (or vest)
- play (or play it) safe (or for safety)
- play (or raise) hob
- play (or sing or practise) scales
- play (or use) the —— card
- play out
- play-party
- playpen
- play-play
- play politics
- play possum
- play-pretty
- playroom
- playscape
- playscheme
- playschool
- play-season
- play second fiddle
- play-seer
- playset
- playshop
- play silly buggers
- playsome