Razees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To reduce a ship by removing its upper decks to improve stability and performance ; to demolish or level a building or structure completely ; to figuratively strip away or diminish something to a simpler or lower state
2. To transform a vessel by cutting down its superstructure to enhance maneuverability ; to utterly destroy a physical construction, leaving no trace ; to metaphorically strip or decrease something, simplifying or weakening it
3. To convert a large sailing ship into a smaller one by removing some decks for better handling ; to completely erase or flatten a building or area ; to consciously reduce or downgrade something, often in rank or status

Etymology: "Razees" is the plural of "razee," a noun for a warship whose upper deck was cut away to lower its profile and reduce its weight. The term was borrowed from French "vaisseau rasé," literally "shaved vessel," where "rasé" is the past participle of "raser," meaning to cut down or level. The French verb shares its root with the English "raze," which likewise means to tear down or level a structure, so the ship term and the building term are close relatives. The plural simply applies the usual English ending to a term used for more than one ship that has been reduced in this way. A ship converted into a razee was often a serviceable vessel that had been judged too valuable to scrap but too heavy or top-heavy in its original form, so cutting it down offered a cheaper route to a faster, more manageable ship.