torpedo boat

noun

: a boat designed for launching torpedoes
specifically : a small very fast boat with one or more torpedo tubes

Examples of torpedo boat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1967: Israeli fighter jets and torpedo boats attacked allies on the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy research ship collecting intelligence near the Sinai Peninsula, amid the Six-Day War between Israel and neighboring Arab nations Egypt, Syria and Jordan. The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2024 In the late nineteenth century, for instance, France’s navy sought to counter British naval supremacy by investing heavily in submarines and torpedo boats. Julia Ciocca, Foreign Affairs, 6 Apr. 2021 Towed behind a torpedo boat, the Shirley would sooner or later rise and fumble skyward, staying aloft exactly as long as its pilot's stamina held out and his sprocket chain stayed intact. Jamie Kitman, Car and Driver, 5 Nov. 2013 Destroyers were invented in the 1880s, when they were called torpedo boat destroyers. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 2 Sep. 2022 The crew had commenced destroying classified materials and equipment, but the sailors could hold off the five torpedo boats and two aircraft only for so long. Abraham Mahshie, Washington Examiner, 20 Feb. 2020 That’s not news: for decades the PLAN has had hundreds of ships, torpedo boats, missile boats, frigates, and destroyers, all obsolete and lacking the latest technology. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 18 Dec. 2019 Its fleet ranges from torpedo boats to fast-moving patrol vessels and Zodiacs. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 14 June 2019 There were a lot of ex-colonials like Allen in the Service, infuriatingly dense regarding aspects of intelligence work that did not involve torpedo boats or sword canes. Andrew Liptak, The Verge, 17 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'torpedo boat.' 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

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of torpedo boat was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near torpedo boat

Cite this Entry

“Torpedo boat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torpedo%20boat. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

torpedo boat

noun
: a small very fast boat for firing torpedoes

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