supertanker

noun

su·​per·​tank·​er ˈsü-pər-ˌtaŋ-kər How to pronounce supertanker (audio)
plural supertankers
: an exceptionally large and fast cargo ship fitted with tanks for carrying liquid (such as oil) in bulk
… vessels of more than 35,000 tons—large but no giants in a world of supertankersWilliam H. MacLeish
… interrupts the … discussion with a warning that supertankers carrying liquefied gas are extremely dangerous.John Hersey

Examples of supertanker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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On Sunday, two supertankers—each carrying up to 2 million barrels—turned back in the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of commercial shipping being targeted, Bloomberg reported. Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025 The navigable shipping lanes for massive supertankers are only about two miles wide in each direction, requiring vessels to pass through both Iranian and Omani territorial waters. John Liu, CNN Money, 23 June 2025 At least two massive supertankers that had entered the strait were reported to have made U-turns. Rob Wile, NBC news, 22 June 2025 The American supertanker doesn’t turn on a dime, and the results of this year’s 3D chess will begin to resolve this summer and autumn. Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for supertanker

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supertanker was in 1921

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Cite this Entry

“Supertanker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supertanker. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

supertanker

noun
su·​per·​tank·​er
ˈsü-pər-ˌtaŋ-kər
: a very large cargo ship fitted with tanks for carrying large amounts of liquid

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