Battleship


any of a class of warships that are the most heavily armored and are equipped with the most powerful armament.
ship of the line.
Contemporary Examples

Sober and muted colors including shades of gray, one described in a local paper as ‘battleship,’ were prevalent.
How World Wars Made Females More Androgynous Liza Foreman July 21, 2014

Using skewers/tooth picks, attach monkey bread, Cinnabons, and churros to battleship.
Epic Meal Empire’s Meat Monstrosities: From the Bacon Spider to the Cinnabattleship Harley Morenstein July 25, 2014

battleship reference, endearing nickname, perfect meme picture.
Front Page of the Day Justin Green October 3, 2012

Additional film credits include The Rundown, The Kingdom, Hancock, battleship, and the upcoming Cocaine Cowboys.
The Hero Summit 2013 Speakers September 9, 2013

As a member of the Royal Navy, he was in charge of operating the searchlights on a battleship called the Valiant.
A Very Unhappy 92nd Birthday for Prince Philip as He Recovers From Surgery in Hospital Tom Sykes June 9, 2013

Historical Examples

He called up General Birdwood, who was reported to be on the battleship Queen, then lying off the position.
Australia in Arms Phillip F.E. Schuler

It was the solemn note of a battleship destroyed by its own magazines.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock T. S. Stribling

It was at 2.25 that she disappeared thus suddenly, the first battleship ever sunk by gun-fire.
Famous Sea Fights John Richard Hale

A view of the battleship as it will look in the water is shown in Fig. 31.
Boys’ Book of Model Boats Raymond Francis Yates

But she was a battleship, and much slower than the cruisers.
World’s War Events, Vol. I Various

noun
a heavily armoured warship of the largest type having many large-calibre guns
(formerly) a warship of sufficient size and armament to take her place in the line of battle; ship of the line
n.

1794, shortened from line-of-battle ship (1705), one large enough to take part in a main attack (formerly one of 74-plus guns); from battle (n.) + ship (n.). Later in U.S. Navy in reference to a class of ships that carried guns of the largest size. The last was decommissioned in 2006. Battleship-gray as a color is attested from 1916. Fighter and bomber airplanes in World War I newspaper articles were sometimes called battleplanes, but it did not catch on.

Read Also:

  • Battleship gray

    a subdued bluish gray. Historical Examples This work confirmed the conclusion of the author and others that our battleship gray was too dark. Visual Illusions Matthew Luckiesh

  • Battle star

    a small bronze star worn on a campaign ribbon by members of organizations taking part in certain battles or other wartime operations. a small silver star similarly worn, equivalent to five bronze battle stars.

  • Battle station

    the place or position that one is assigned to for battle or in an emergency.

  • Battle wagon

    a battleship. Historical Examples The Chief looked out of the side port “Man, it looks like a battle wagon.” First on the Moon Jeff Sutton The charts had been made in that far future which the battle wagon had quitted forever and they revealed nothing about this sea. The Lost Warship Robert Moore Williams The […]

  • Battle worthy

    capable of engaging in combat; ready for battle: a decline in the nation’s battleworthy forces. Historical Examples Only when the choice lies between two heavens—the selfish and the unselfish—is the battle worthy the fighting! Idolatry Julian Hawthorne I present the battle of heroes,–a battle worthy of the muse of Homer. Beacon Lights of History, Volume […]


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