Triremes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of ancient warship with three tiers of rowers on each side
2. an advanced naval vessel used predominantly by Greek and Roman fleets
3. known for its speed and maneuverability in maritime combat during classical antiquity

Etymology: "Triremes" is the plural of "trireme," and the singular has a plainly literal name: it means "three-oared" in Latin. The Latin "trirēmis" joins "tri-," meaning three, to "rēmus," meaning oar. The name describes the ship's design, with banks of rowers stacked in three tiers on each side, and it was used for the oared warships of the ancient Mediterranean. The Latin word was a compound formed from familiar parts, so the English term simply carries that description across. Its meaning has not shifted: a "trireme" is still the same vessel the name describes, and the plural simply refers to more than one of them.