horse marine
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
An awkward, lubberly person.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
One of a mythical body of marine cavalry, for whom wild flights of imagination are best reserved.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
an awkward person. In ancient times the "jollies," or Royal Marines, were the butts of the sailors, from their ignorance of seamanship. "Tell that to the MARINES, the blue jackets wont believe it!" was a common rejoinder to a "stiff yarn." A HORSE MARINE (an impossibility) was used to denote one more awkward even than an ordinary "jolly." Nowadays the MARINES are deservedly appreciated as one of the finest regiments in the service.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “horse marine” mean?
An awkward, lubberly person.
Is “horse marine” formal or informal?
horse marine is generally slang.