oysterman

noun

oys·​ter·​man ˈȯi-stər-mən How to pronounce oysterman (audio)
: one who gathers, opens, breeds, or sells oysters

Examples of oysterman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Mills will test whether Democrats have changed their electability calculus by taking on a crowded primary field, including 40-year-old oysterman Graham Platner, who opposes Schumer as leader. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025 In another part of his pottery practice, Commeraw made cylindrical pickle jars for local oystermen, a trade dominated by African Americans, and stamped their names and addresses across the jars. Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, 20 Apr. 2023 Born about 1772, enslaved as a child and then set free by a family of German American potters, Mr. Commeraw began designing ceramics in the 1790s, including food storage vessels for oystermen and innkeepers. The New York Times, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023 Like Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House, the bungalows are owned by second-generation oysterman Raz Halili. Megha McSwain, Chron, 26 Oct. 2022 His father worked both as an oysterman and a fireman at the Naval Academy power plant; his mother taught in a one-room schoolhouse. Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2022 But the Free Jacks, a combination of international stars and young American players who hold local jobs (including a Rhode Island oysterman), refused to quit. BostonGlobe.com, 20 May 2021 Mitch Jurisich, a third-generation oysterman, dropped a long pair of oyster tongs into the Gulf of Mexico and lightly raked the water bottom. Halle Parker | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, 31 Jan. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oysterman was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oysterman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oysterman. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!