battleship

noun

bat·​tle·​ship ˈba-tᵊl-ˌship How to pronounce battleship (audio)
: a warship of the largest and most heavily armed and armored class

Examples of battleship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The fundraising effort was so successful that the extra money went to the wives and children of sailors who died in the collision of the battleship HMS Victoria. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 5 Dec. 2023 The cruiser warship was originally meant as a ship smaller than a battleship, but faster, meant to scout ahead of the fleet to locate the enemy fleet. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 1 Sep. 2023 The land brimmed with debris left by the Russians — bags of bullets, vials of painkillers, a game of battleship made of paper and blue pen. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 4 Jan. 2024 The show starts with a full-on World War II flashback, complete with a crashing battleship and some number of creepy-crawly creatures. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Dec. 2023 The destruction of Force Z, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, was seen as further evidence of the aircraft taking over the battleship as the primary weapon at sea. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 6 June 2023 The battleship was tied up alongside the Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor in November 1944, before its departure to join up with the 3rd Fleet. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2023 The bike’s five-piece body and eight-liter fuel tank are finished in battleship grey and adorned with the Union Jack, the gold Méttise logo, and a reproduction of the star’s signature. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2023 The battleship was hit by multiple torpedoes and, later, a bomb, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 3 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'battleship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

short for line-of-battle ship

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of battleship was in 1794

Dictionary Entries Near battleship

Cite this Entry

“Battleship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battleship. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

battleship

noun
bat·​tle·​ship ˈbat-ᵊl-ˌship How to pronounce battleship (audio)
: a large warship with heavy armor and large guns

More from Merriam-Webster on battleship

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