The story
From jack (“common man or sailor”) + tar (“tarpaulin”), used for a common sailor dating back to the 1600s.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
jacktar
Today it means: A sailor; especially, one in the Royal Navy. Full definition →
Today it means: A sailor; especially, one in the Royal Navy. Full definition →
From jack (“common man or sailor”) + tar (“tarpaulin”), used for a common sailor dating back to the 1600s.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.