Paravane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A towed apparatus that functions to trigger underwater mines and enhance maritime safety is crucial in naval defense operations
2. A marine tool pulled behind a ship to detonate mines safely before the vessel arrives
3. An underwater sweeping device towed to clear explosive mines from the path of ships

Etymology: "Paravane" is a compound of "para-" and "vane", and the pairing is more practical than poetic. A paravane is a towed underwater device, shaped rather like a small torpedo with fins, that is streamed out from the side of a ship to cut the cables of moored sea mines or to deflect them away from the hull. The "vane" half refers to the device's fins or blades, which use the water's pressure to hold it at a set depth and angle as it is dragged through the sea. The "para-" prefix is the Greek element meaning "beside" or "alongside", which fits a device deployed off the side of a vessel rather than from its bow or stern. Together the parts describe the function exactly: a vane that works beside the ship.

Synonyms: underwater device