steamship

noun

steam·​ship ˈstēm-ˌship How to pronounce steamship (audio)
Synonyms of steamshipnext

Examples of steamship 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.
The original Dow index from 1884 had 11 stocks in it, and nine of them were railroads (the other two were a steamship company and Western Union). Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 15 June 2026 On summer breaks from university, Gilmore also worked at the port, painting buildings, shoveling coal on a steamship and crewing on harbor boats. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 June 2026 On summer breaks from university, Gilmore also worked at the port, painting buildings, shoveling coal on a steamship and crewing on harbor boats. Bloomberg, Oc Register, 10 June 2026 Other ancestors had fled aboard the Mayflower from the persecution of Puritans in England, aboard a steamship from pogroms in Ukraine, aboard a schooner from Spanish repression in Cuba. Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for steamship

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of steamship was in 1790

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Steamship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steamship. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

steamship

noun
steam·​ship ˈstēm-ˌship How to pronounce steamship (audio)
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster