shore-leave

The sailor enjoys his shore-leave in the port city.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Permission for sailors to go ashore: "shore-leave" refers to the official permission granted to a member of a ship's crew to leave the vessel and go onto land for a period of time, typically for rest, recreation, or personal business.

Usage Examples

• (The sailors were allowed to go ashore for rest.)
• (The time spent on land by the crew.)
• (The official permission to go ashore.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be on shore-leave": to be in the state of having permission to be ashore.

  • The entire crew is on shore-leave until tomorrow morning. (They are allowed to stay on land temporarily.)

• "shore-leave pass": a written or official document granting permission for shore-leave.

  • Each sailor had to show their shore-leave pass to the dock officer. (An identification paper for leaving the ship.)

Variants and Related Words

• Shore (n): the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or other large body of water.

  • The ship anchored near the shore. (The coastline.)

• Leave (n): permission to be absent from duty or work.

  • He applied for annual leave from his job. (Time off from work.)

• Liberty (n): a synonym for shore-leave, especially in naval contexts.

  • The sailors were given liberty for the weekend. (Permission to go ashore.)

Synonyms

• Liberty: the official permission for a sailor to go ashore.
• Ashore time: time spent on land by a crew member.
• Port call break: a rest period granted when a ship is in port.

Related Idioms

• "Go ashore": to leave a ship and go onto land.

  • After the voyage, the sailors were eager to go ashore. (To disembark and visit land.)

• "Hit the shore": informal expression meaning to go onto land, especially for recreation.

  • The crew hit the shore for a few hours of relaxation. (They went ashore quickly and cheerfully.)