Battleship

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbætəlˌʃɪp/

Definitions

1. A large heavily armored warship with powerful guns designed for direct combat engagement at sea
2. A heavily fortified combat ship featuring extensive armor protection and formidable weaponry designed for major naval engagements
3. A massive ship built with thick armor and strong artillery to fight in naval battles

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this word is that it is a shortening. Its full form was "line-of-battle ship," a term for a warship big enough to hold a place in the line of battle, the formation in which fleets of sailing vessels ranged side by side and exchanged broadside fire. Over time the longer phrase was trimmed to the two-part compound we use now. The parts themselves are plain. "Battle" comes from the Old French "bataille," ultimately from Latin "battualia," a word for combat exercises, and "ship" is an ancient Germanic word for a vessel. Put together, the compound describes exactly what the ship was for: fighting at sea. The word's meaning followed the ships. As the line-of-battle vessels gave way to steam-powered, steel-hulled warships, the term kept its place for the largest and most heavily armoured fighting ships of each era.

Synonyms: warship, naval vessel, frigate, destroyer, cruiser