ship
Other forms: ships; shipping; shipped
A ship is a large sea-going vessel, and it's also a way to transport goods. You can ship things on a ship — but, confusingly, you can also ship them on a truck or a train.
A ship is like a boat, only larger — some definitions of a sailing ship say it has at least three masts. A cruise ship transports a large number of people in what is basically a floating hotel. A cargo ship, on the other hand, transports goods being imported and exported between countries. One guess about the origin of ship links it to a Germanic word meaning "hollowed-out tree."
Definitions of ship
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a vessel that carries passengers or freight
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examples:
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H.M.S. Bounty
a ship of the British navy; in 1789 part of the crew mutinied against their commander William Bligh and set him afloat in an open boat
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Mayflower
the ship in which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from England to Massachusetts in 1620
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types:
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abandoned ship, derelict
a ship abandoned on the high seas
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blockade-runner
a ship that runs through or around a naval blockade
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cargo ship, cargo vessel
a ship designed to carry cargo
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flagship
the ship that carries the commander of a fleet and flies his flag
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gas-turbine ship
a ship powered by a gas turbine
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hospital ship
a ship built to serve as a hospital; used for wounded in wartime
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hulk
a ship that has been wrecked and abandoned
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iceboat, icebreaker
a ship with a reinforced bow to break up ice and keep channels open for navigation
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lightship
a ship equipped like a lighthouse and anchored where a permanent lighthouse would be impracticable
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minelayer
ship equipped for laying marine mines
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minesweeper
ship equipped to detect and then destroy or neutralize or remove marine mines
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nuclear-powered ship
ship whose motive power comes from the energy of a nuclear reactor
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passenger ship
a ship built to carry passengers
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pirate, pirate ship
a ship that is manned by pirates
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school ship, training ship
a ship used to train students as sailors
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shipwreck
a wrecked ship (or a part of one)
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sister ship
a ship that is one of two or more similar ships built at the same time
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slave ship
a ship used to transport slaves from their homes to places of bondage
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small ship
a ship that is small
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steamer, steamship
a ship powered by one or more steam engines
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supply ship, tender
ship that usually provides supplies to other ships
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three-decker
any ship having three decks
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transport ship
a ship for carrying soldiers or military equipment
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treasure ship
a 16th-century ship loaded with treasure
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troopship
ship for transporting troops
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combat ship, war vessel, warship
a government ship that is available for waging war
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whaler, whaling ship
a ship engaged in whale fishing
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wreck
a ship that has been destroyed at sea
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caravel
a small, light ship with lateen sails and two to four masts; used by Spanish and Portuguese sailors in the 15th and 16th centuries
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aircraft carrier, attack aircraft carrier, carrier, flattop
a large warship that carries planes and has a long flat deck for takeoffs and landings
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banana boat
a ship designed to transport bananas
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battleship, battlewagon
large and heavily armoured warship
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bottom, freighter, merchant ship, merchantman
a cargo ship
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capital ship
a warship of the first rank in size and armament
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cattle boat, cattleship
a cargo ship for the transport of livestock
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container ship, container vessel, containership
a cargo ship designed to hold containerized cargoes
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corsair
a swift pirate ship (often operating with official sanction)
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corvette
a highly maneuverable escort warship; smaller than a destroyer
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cruiser
a large fast warship; smaller than a battleship and larger than a destroyer
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destroyer, guided missile destroyer
a small fast lightly armored but heavily armed warship
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destroyer escort
warship smaller than a destroyer; designed to escort fleets or convoys
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factory ship
a whaling ship equipped to process whale products at sea
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frigate
a United States warship larger than a destroyer and smaller than a cruiser
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frigate
a medium size square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries
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guard ship
a warship (at anchor or under way) required to maintain a higher degree of readiness than others in its squadron
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ironclad
a wooden warship of the 19th century that is plated with iron or steel armor
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Liberty ship
a slow cargo ship built during World War II
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liner, ocean liner
a large commercial ship (especially one that carries passengers on a regular schedule)
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man-of-war, ship of the line
a warship intended for combat
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oil tanker, oiler, tank ship, tanker
a cargo ship designed to carry crude oil in bulk
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paddle steamer, paddle-wheeler
a steam vessel propelled by paddle wheels
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privateer
a privately owned warship commissioned to prey on the commercial shipping or warships of an enemy nation
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sloop of war
a sailing or steam warship having cannons on only one deck
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submersible, submersible warship
a warship designed to operate under water
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surface ship
a warship that operates on the surface of the water
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three-decker
a warship carrying guns on three decks
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torpedo boat
small high-speed warship designed for torpedo attacks in coastal waters
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tramp, tramp steamer
a commercial steamer for hire; one having no regular schedule
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type of:
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vessel, watercraft
a craft designed for water transportation
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H.M.S. Bounty
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place on board a ship
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transport commercially
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types:
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barge
transport by barge on a body of water
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railroad
transport by railroad
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despatch, dispatch, send off
send away towards a designated goal
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forward, send on
send or ship onward from an intermediate post or station in transit
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bundle off
send off unceremoniously
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route
send documents or materials to appropriate destinations
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hire for work on a ship
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go on board
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travel by ship
Pronunciation
US
/ʃɪp/
UK
/ʃɪp/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘ship'.
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