Etymology From Middle French matelot (“sailor”). Compare Dutch matroos and German Matrose. Doublet of matross.
1
A sailor.
Nor were they long finding what they sought for; first the grub matter was hunted up, and go where you would, you was sure to meet lots of Matelo’s [matelots—sailors] wending their way to their various quarters, loaded to the bends with what they called Belly Timber.c. 1847, Joseph T. Downey, edited by Howard R. Lamar, The Cruise of Portsmouth 1845-1847, published 1958, page 216:
“‘Hellow,” says Jimmy, “here’s some dunnage as has belonged to some poor matelo’,” and with that he picks out a wad of somethin’ and begins for to open it.1877 August, “The million dollar fish – a sailor’s yarn”, in The Sailor’s Magazine and Seaman’s Friend, page 233:
4 more examples
Matlo, name used to describe themselves by British bluejackets. Falling into disuse. Corruption of the French matelot.[1914, Fred T. Jane, Your Navy as a Fighting Machine, page 112:
A sailor would refer to a soldier as a ‘“leatherneck," and a soldier would call a sailor a “flat-footed matlow.” […] I must really congratulate you upon the collectlve composition of your guests. First, we have the “flat-footed matlow” (laughter), who has aspirations that must be satisfied in this incarnation or in another1929 November 12, “Armistice night dinner. Ex-service men and guests foregather”, in Hong Kong Telegraph, page 2:
[…] a chief petty officer, snarled something under his breath about bloody 'am-fisted matelots […]1984, John Harris, A Funny Place to Hold a War, London: Hutchinson, →ISBN:
So far as the average matelot was concerned, there was little romanticism about the preference for frigates, destroyers, frail E-boats that could be blown up with one well-aimed cannon, and submarines, those breeding grounds of TB and madness.1997, Tristan Jones, Heart of Oak, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Sheridan House, →ISBN, page 103:
2
A mate; a boon companion.
[…] "Among the Brethren of the Coast—we tykes no wimmen save in passing, as it were, they being bothersome, frail and scatterbrained creatures. Instead we tykes a blood-brother, or matelot ... A matelot, 'e fights along side o' yer, nurses yer if yer falls sick. Wots 'is is yours and whats yours is 'is ... Take Klaas yonder, and young Pedro [described earlier as a slender-hipped boy with deep feminine brown eyes]; they shared the same barbacoa six, seven year and ye'll never come on 'em more than a few yards apart." To this explanation [Harry] Morgan listened in growing amazement and began to comprehend why none of these bestial-appearing boucan makers had so much as addressed Kate.1949, Francis van Wyck Mason, Cutlass Empire, →OCLC:
matelot
adj
Etymology From Middle French matelot (“sailor”). Compare Dutch matroos and German Matrose. Doublet of matross.
In minor key, but just as picturesque, were the uniforms of the port labouring staff—white sweat shirt, black matelot trousers and wide-brimmed straw hat with flat crown.1968, Athol Thomas, Forgotten Eden, page 17:
A small, dark, ferretlike man in a sailor’s dark coat and a French matelot cap with a red pompom was behind her on the stairs.1986, Diana Saunders, The Passion of Letty Fox, page 18:
1 more example
She wore the kind of wide trousers and matelot vest that used to feature so strongly in the fashion plates of the Thirties, those outdoor shots that Norman Parkinson liked to take in the South of France1992, Tania Kindersley, Here for the Season, page 231: