A male member of a crew, especially someone who works on a ship, aircraft, or in a military unit as part of a team.
Compound from 'crew' (from Old French 'creue' meaning increase or group) and 'man' (from Old English 'mann'). The compound form became standard in the 1800s as organized crews became important in modern shipping and military operations.
The word 'crew' originally meant an increase in numbers—it came from the French word for 'growth.' Sailors and soldiers called their groups 'crews' because they were adding more and more people to their teams!
This masculine-coded occupational noun historically excluded women from maritime and aviation roles; language encoded their marginalization even as they performed identical work.
Use 'crew member', 'crew staff', or role-specific terms ('navigator', 'engineer') to describe people regardless of gender.
["crew member","crew staff","team member"]
Women aviators and sailors fought for recognition in fields where male terminology gatekept legitimacy; modern inclusive language honors this hard-won access.
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