Meanings
aye-aye, sir1
- alternativeAlternative form of aye aye, sir.
‘Sound battle stations, if you will, Petty Officer.’ / ‘Aye-aye, sir.’ Jamie rang the bell, and the crew came on deck.
2009, Alan Savage [pseudonym; Christopher Nicole], “Baptism of Fire”, in The Vortex (Honourable Duncan Morant; 4), Sutton, London: Severn House Publishers, →ISBN, page 332 more examples
“Reset the guard zones to twelve miles,” called the captain. / “Aye-aye, sir,” replied Ian, tapping at a keypad on the radar front panel.
2011 January 15, Roger Lancaster, chapter 10, in To Save a Wretch, Southam, Warwickshire: fifty eight kings press, →ISBN, pages 151–152‘Remember when I showed you how to check a whale-boat and its gear last voyage . . .’ / ‘Aye-aye, sir.’ / ‘Off with you and do it now.’ / ‘Aye-aye, sir.’ Jim started to turn away.
2011 March 3, Jessica Blair [pseudonym; William Spence], chapter 3, in Secrets of a Whitby Girl, London: Piatkus, →ISBN, page 41
aye-aye, Sir2
- alternativeAlternative form of aye aye, sir.
Self: “Can you tell me what that building up there is?” / Native: “Aye-aye, Sir.”
1878 July 18, A.H.M., “Round England in Ten Days.—III.”, in The Bath Chronicle. […], volume 122, number 6242, Bath, Somerset, →OCLC, page 7, column 52 more examples
Mr. B—— said warningly through his speaking tube to the engineer: “Stand by, now!” / “Aye-aye, Sir.”
1875 February 4, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “Piloting on the Mississippi. Dodging an Island in a Shallow Channel After Dark.”, in J. T. Talbot, W. P. Harding, editors, The Cambridge City Tribune, volume X, number 40, Cambridge City, Ind., →OCLC, front page, column 5“This ’ere,” says the captain producing a catalogue across which is printed, Hyde Windlass Co., Bath, Me., in bold type, “is a windlass. You know a windlass when you see him coming across the street? Well, this is one of them. Got that?” / “Aye-aye, Sir.”
1913 January 24, “Wildcats Are Not Always Real Wild: Marine Reporter Gets Light on Subject at Cost of Drink”, in The Day, 32nd year, New London, Conn., →OCLC, page 4, column 6
Cite this entry
aye-aye, sir. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aye-aye%2C%20sir
“aye-aye, sir.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aye-aye%2C%20sir. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aye-aye, sir,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aye-aye%2C%20sir.
Source: aye-aye, sir on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.