minesweeper

noun

mine·​sweep·​er ˈmīn-ˌswē-pər How to pronounce minesweeper (audio)
: a warship for removing or neutralizing mines by dragging
minesweeping noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Mines left behind by Russian forces retreating from Chernobyl and recovered by Ukrainian National Guard using minesweepers. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 3 May 2023 Over a period of six days in September 1950, members of the US Navy sprayed clouds of Serratia from giant hoses aboard a Navy minesweeper drifting two miles along the San Francisco coastline, a bacterial fog quickly enveloped and disguised by the region’s own mist. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2015 Born in Bristol, England in 1932, Michael Tommy Hodges originally began his professional life as a chartered accountant before spending two years aboard a Royal Navy minesweeper for his mandatory military service. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2022 An obsolete minesweeper in WW2, a disheveled crew, a cowardly captain, with loyalty and reason in contest. Riza Cruz, ELLE, 13 Sep. 2022 Despite the minesweeper-like exterior, Wind Horse is surprisingly big on liveaboard comfort. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2023 The new vessels included a corvette, a minesweeper and the nuclear submarine Generalissimus Suvorov. Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2022 For his compulsory national service, Mr. Hodges joined the Royal Navy, serving aboard a minesweeper that traveled between poor fishing communities along the British coastline. Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2022 Born in the English port city of Bristol in 1932, Hodges trained as an accountant and did two years of compulsory military service aboard a Royal Navy minesweeper, visiting poor coastal communities around England. Jill Lawless, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of minesweeper was in 1904

Dictionary Entries Near minesweeper

Cite this Entry

“Minesweeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minesweeper. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

minesweeper

noun
mine·​sweep·​er ˈmīn-ˌswē-pər How to pronounce minesweeper (audio)
: a warship for removing or destroying mines

More from Merriam-Webster on minesweeper

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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