Shipborne

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Transported aboard a vessel, such as an aircraft or missile carried on a ship and launched from its deck
2. Borne or carried on board a ship, especially weapons, aircraft or equipment that travel by sea
3. Being conveyed by a ship or kept on board a vessel rather than based on land

Etymology: "Shipborne" is a plain compound: "ship" followed by "-borne," the past participle of "bear" used as a suffix meaning "carried by" or "transported by." The "-borne" element is the same one found in words like "airborne" and "waterborne," and it descends from an ancient root meaning "to carry," which reached English through Old English "beran" and Middle English "boren." Attaching it to "ship" gives the sense of something carried or conveyed by a vessel. The "ship" half has a longer pedigree. It traces back through Old English "scip" and Proto-Germanic "skipą" to a root that also gave English words for a boat or a division of labour in some related languages, though the English word itself has always meant a seagoing vessel. Pairing the two elements is a straightforward English formation, and the word is used mainly where the meaning "carried by ship" needs to be stated plainly, such as in discussions of goods, troops, or disease transmission.

Synonyms: seaborne

Antonyms: landborne