mother ship

noun

: a ship serving smaller craft

Examples of mother ship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Some of the systems on the RFA Lyme Bay can be loaded onto a smaller vessel that can be launched and piloted autonomously from the ship, which acts as a mother ship, waiting outside any potential minefield, Britton said. Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026 Its SpaceShipTwo was to be launched from mother ship WhiteKnightTwo, then rocketed into space at Mach 3 before gliding back. Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026 Some of the systems on the RFA Lyme Bay can be loaded onto a smaller vessel that can be launched and piloted autonomously from the ship, which acts as a mother ship, waiting outside any potential minefield, Britton said. Emma Burrows, Fortune, 24 May 2026 Some of the systems on the RFA Lyme Bay can be loaded onto a smaller vessel that can be launched and piloted autonomously from the ship, which acts as a mother ship, waiting outside any potential minefield, Britton said. ABC News, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mother ship

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mother ship was in 1867

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Cite this Entry

“Mother ship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mother%20ship. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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