Etymology

matross

M3A1T1R1O1S1S1

Today it means: An artilleryman next in rank to a gunner; a gunner's mate, especially one who assists the gunners in loading, firing, and sponging the guns. Full definition →

First used 17th c.Dutch matroos ← French matelot ← Middle Dutch mattenoot
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The story

  1. Middle Dutch · derived frommattenoot
  2. French · derived frommatelot“seaman”
  3. Dutch · derived frommatroos“sailor, seaman”
  4. English todaymatross

From Dutch matroos (“sailor, seaman”), essentially from French matelot (“seaman”), from Middle Dutch mattenoot. Compare German Matrose, Swedish matros, Danish matros, and Crimean Tatar matros. Doublet of matelot.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. An artilleryman next in rank to a gunner; a gunner's mate, especially one who assists the gunners in loading, firing, and sponging the guns.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.