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
shipped him off to prep school
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
b
: to proceed by ship or other means under military orders
—often used with out
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
Synonyms
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 WebEmily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Once the main port for ship building in the northeast, the small city is perfect for seafaring aficionados.
—Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
The company opened up a Q&A channel for retail investors this week, and the dozens of questions focused on Musk are directed at the entrepreneur’s ability to right the ship at Tesla while also being focused on AI, space travel, and maintaining an involved social media presence.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
In exchange, the officers did Francis’ bidding, providing ship schedules for the Navy’s Seventh Fleet and steering Navy ships to ports around Southeast Asia where Francis and his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, could gouge the Navy on services.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024
Known as a grapeshot, this style of ammunition could have been used to devastating effect on enemy ships.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
For over four centuries at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported thousands of miles by mainly European ships and merchants and sold into slavery.
—Fox News, 17 Apr. 2024
However, custom pieces can take longer to make and ship, so savvy shoppers are already placing their orders.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 17 Apr. 2024
The object of the mission is to infiltrate the Spanish port of Fernando Po, off West Africa, destroy the German attack boats and sink the Duchessa, the Italian ship carrying supplies and equipment vital to U-boat operations.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
Matthew Brown, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024
Montana's Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that BNSF and its predecessors were more involved in the mine than simply shipping its product.
—Matthew Brown and Amy Beth Hanson, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2024
These will be shipped to a cryobank at ZooParc de Beauval in France.
—Matjaž Krivic, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
Goods will be frozen and shipped from Seattle on an air cargo plane.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
While the moment was unexpected, viewers have long shipped the known to be straight Buck with his best friend, Eddie (Ryan Guzman).
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Related article Aid is being shipped to Gaza by sea.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The more specific, the better as ‘manufactured in the US’ might mean that the hemp is grown in China then shipped over.
—Chrono Therapeutics, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The firm has delegated several universities to conduct independent analysis, the spokesperson said, adding the batch in question may have been manufactured between April and October last year and shipped between April and December.
—Himari Semans, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
One was a trawling vessel, the Maid of Honour, commanded by March-Phillipps, the other a transport ship commanded by Appleyard.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Once the main port for ship building in the northeast, the small city is perfect for seafaring aficionados.
—Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
The company opened up a Q&A channel for retail investors this week, and the dozens of questions focused on Musk are directed at the entrepreneur’s ability to right the ship at Tesla while also being focused on AI, space travel, and maintaining an involved social media presence.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
In exchange, the officers did Francis’ bidding, providing ship schedules for the Navy’s Seventh Fleet and steering Navy ships to ports around Southeast Asia where Francis and his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, could gouge the Navy on services.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024
Known as a grapeshot, this style of ammunition could have been used to devastating effect on enemy ships.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
For over four centuries at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported thousands of miles by mainly European ships and merchants and sold into slavery.
—Fox News, 17 Apr. 2024
However, custom pieces can take longer to make and ship, so savvy shoppers are already placing their orders.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 17 Apr. 2024
The object of the mission is to infiltrate the Spanish port of Fernando Po, off West Africa, destroy the German attack boats and sink the Duchessa, the Italian ship carrying supplies and equipment vital to U-boat operations.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
Verb
Montana’s Supreme Court has ruled in a separate case that BNSF and its predecessors were more involved in the mine than simply shipping its product.
—Matthew Brown, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024
Montana's Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that BNSF and its predecessors were more involved in the mine than simply shipping its product.
—Matthew Brown and Amy Beth Hanson, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2024
These will be shipped to a cryobank at ZooParc de Beauval in France.
—Matjaž Krivic, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
Goods will be frozen and shipped from Seattle on an air cargo plane.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
While the moment was unexpected, viewers have long shipped the known to be straight Buck with his best friend, Eddie (Ryan Guzman).
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Related article Aid is being shipped to Gaza by sea.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The more specific, the better as ‘manufactured in the US’ might mean that the hemp is grown in China then shipped over.
—Chrono Therapeutics, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The firm has delegated several universities to conduct independent analysis, the spokesperson said, adding the batch in question may have been manufactured between April and October last year and shipped between April and December.
—Himari Semans, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ship
Cite this Entry
“Ship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ship. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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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