corvette

noun

cor·vette | \kȯr-ˈvet

\

Definition of corvette

1 : a warship ranking in the old sailing navies next below a frigate

2 : a highly maneuverable armed escort ship that is smaller than a destroyer

Examples of corvette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those fleets include at least 12 corvettes (small warships) and ten submarines--including four attack submarines and six ballistic missile submarines. — Matt Sussis And Yingjie Gu, USA TODAY, "Navy’s planned shipbuilding spree overlooks looming sailor shortage," 29 June 2018 Several Chinese frigates and corvettes closely tailed our passage around Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross Reefs. — Jonas Parello-plesner, WSJ, "The French Navy Stands Up to China," 7 June 2018 He is widely believed to have masterminded the attack on a South Korean naval corvette, the Cheonan, in 2010, leading to the deaths of 46 sailors. — Anna Fifield, Anchorage Daily News, "Top North Korean official believed to be on his way to the U.S. for meetings," 29 May 2018 Smaller than a navy frigate or corvette, they're often used to patrol distant territories, fisheries protection, and search and rescue. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Watch This Navy Ship Take on a Truly Gigantic Wave," 9 June 2016 The Type 056 Jiangdao class is a general-purpose corvette, armed with light weapons, designed for offshore patrol duties. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Satellite Photos Reveal Gigantic Chinese Fleet of More Than 40 Ships," 29 Mar. 2018 Kim is widely accused of masterminding two deadly attacks in 2010: a torpedo attack on the Cheonan naval corvette, which killed 46 South Korean sailors, and the shelling of an island, which killed four people. — Anna Fifield, Washington Post, "As Winter Games close, North Korea says it is willing to talk to the U.S., according to Seoul," 25 Feb. 2018 The rear is taken up by a number of small, corvette-sized ships and one larger ship with a wider beam that does not appear to be a warship—possibly a PLAN oceanographic survey ship. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Satellite Photos Reveal Gigantic Chinese Fleet of More Than 40 Ships," 29 Mar. 2018 The two had come close to war before: In 2010, a North Korean torpedo detonated just below a South Korean navy corvette, cutting the ship in two and sending 46 sailors to their deaths. — Jeffrey Lewis | Opinion, Anchorage Daily News, "This is how nuclear war with North Korea would unfold," 10 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'corvette.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of corvette was in 1636

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