plural ships
often attributive
1
a
: a large seagoing vessel
b
: a sailing vessel having a bowsprit and usually three masts each composed of a lower mast, a topmast, and a topgallant mast
2
: boat
especially
: one propelled by power or sail
3
: a ship's crew
4
: fortune sense 2
when their ship comes in they'll be able to live in better style
5
see also take ship
shipped; shipping; ships
1
a
: to place or receive on board a ship for transportation by water
b
: to cause to be transported
We can ship it to you overnight.
shipped him off to prep school
c
: to send (a new product) to stores so that it can be bought by customers
The company will ship the new model next month.
2
obsolete
: to provide with a ship
3
: to put in place for use
ship the tiller
4
: to take into a ship or boat
ship the gangplank
5
: to engage for service on a ship
6
: to take (water) over the side
—used of a boat or a ship
1
: to embark on a ship
2
a
: to go or travel by ship
—often used with out
… felt like a kid talking to some old tars who had shipped out on the last clipper ships.—
Fred Hapgood
Fred Hapgood
b
: to proceed by ship or other means under military orders
—often used with out
The troops will be shipping out next month.
3
: to engage to serve on shipboard
4
: to be sent for delivery
the order will ship soon
shipped; shipping; ships
informal
: to wishfully regard (specific people or fictional characters) as being or having the potential to become romantically involved with one another
Naturally, their followers gushed … and started shipping them all over again. "Please be back together," one user commented …—Alyssa Morin
Alyssa MorinThe Office's on-and-off pairing remained so tantalizingly close after the series wrapped in 2013 that even [Mindy] Kaling gets why people are still shipping them.—Sarah Grossbart
Sarah GrossbartSean Astin, who portrayed Bob Newby, the love interest of Ryder's character, Joyce Byers, in season 2, told Us Weekly exclusively earlier this month that he hopes Jim and Joyce will end up together. "I've shipped them since the beginning," the 49-year-old declared.—Samantha Leffler
Samantha LefflerOne close friendship does develop between two girls, and while fans of other Dreamworks shows like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power may start shipping them, budding romance at this point is only wishful thinking.—Alana Joli Abbott
Alana Joli AbbottHow does one even begin to write about Anne and Diana? … Megan Followes herself ships them.—Danny M. Lavery
Danny M. Lavery1
: state : condition : quality
friendship
2
: office : dignity : profession
clerkship
3
: art : skill
horsemanship
4
: something showing, exhibiting, or embodying a quality or state
township
fellowship
5
: one entitled to a (specified) rank, title, or appellation
his Lordship
6
: the body of persons participating in a specified activity
readership
listenership
Examples of ship in a Sentence
Noun
the captain of the ship
He will travel by ship.
Verb (1)
The goods were shipped from a foreign port.
Your order is expected to ship soon.
The company will ship its new software next month.
The software will ship next month.
The soldiers were shipped overseas for duty.
When the waves increased, the boat began shipping water.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Theories range from the Edmund Fitzgerald striking a shoal and suffering bottom damage to flooding through the freighter's hatch covers, which filled the ship with water and sank it, to rogue waves, to structural flaws in the ship that the 1975 storm made deadly.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
During the Vietnam War, however, Fort Sherman was considered a prime location where most troops could hone their jungle survival skills before shipping off to war.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ship
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The ship returned to PortMiami as scheduled Saturday morning, according to Carnival chief communications officer Chris Chiames.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Theories range from the Edmund Fitzgerald striking a shoal and suffering bottom damage to flooding through the freighter's hatch covers, which filled the ship with water and sank it, to rogue waves, to structural flaws in the ship that the 1975 storm made deadly.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
While Microsoft has gotten the necessary approvals to ship advanced Nvidia chips, G42 — which counts Microsoft as an investor and Smith as a board member — is still waiting.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
During the Vietnam War, however, Fort Sherman was considered a prime location where most troops could hone their jungle survival skills before shipping off to war.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ship
Cite this Entry
“Ship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ship. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ship
1 of 3 nounship
2 of 3 verb
shipped; shipping
1
a
: to place or receive on board a ship for transportation by water
b
: to cause to be transported
had her boxes shipped home
2
: to take into a ship or boat
ship oars
3
: to sign on as a crew member of a ship
4
: to take in (as water) over the side
-ship
3 of 3 noun suffixˌship
1
: state : condition : quality
friendship
apprenticeship
2
: position : office : duties
professorship
3
: art : skill : activity
horsemanship
penmanship
4
: one having or entitled to be called by a (specified) title
his Lordship
her Ladyship
5
: the whole body of persons included in a class
a large readership
Etymology
Noun suffix
Old English -scipe "condition, something having a certain quality"
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