Meaning

noun any member of a ship's crew

noun a serviceman in the navy

noun a stiff hat made of straw with a flat crown

originAlteration of earlier sailer, from Middle English sailer, sayler, saylere, equivalent to sail + -or. Cognate with German Segler (“sailor”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English marinel, marynell (“sailor”) borrowed from Old French marinel (“sailor”). See mariner.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0