Home › Words › S › shipmastershipmastershipmaster means the master of a ship; a captain; a commander.EtymologyFrom Middle English schypmayster, schypmester, equivalent to ship + master.nounThe master of a ship; a captain; a commander.Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.skipper 77% match — The master of a ship. vs shipmaster →boatmaster 69% match — A person officially qualified to be in charge of a vessel of a specified category. vs shipmaster →shipmistress 68% match — A female shipmaster. vs shipmaster →nauclerus 66% match — A shipmaster, a shipowner, a skipper vs shipmaster →mastership 63% match — The state or office of a master. vs shipmaster →boatman 62% match — A sailor on a small vessel (boat), particularly its captain. vs shipmaster →wreckmaster 61% match — Someone appointed to take charge of any goods and debris arriving on to the shore after a shipwreck. vs shipmaster →steersman 61% match — One who steers a ship or other vessel; the helmsman. vs shipmaster →