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cargo ship

cargo ship

26 3.0
A large ship that carries goods between ports
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑrɡoʊ ʃɪp/
translation icon : buque de carga
  • The cargo ship arrived at the dock, fully loaded with goods from overseas.
  • an unmanned cargo ship
  • a Maersk cargo ship
  • an ocean-going cargo ship

Factories enter the global market on cargo ships that exit the port of Manaus.

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Examples

  • I have booked passage on a cargo ship bound for England.

  • The low river levels mean that cargo ships have had to reduce their loads, leading to higher transport costs and supply chain delays.

  • All right, we have got a cargo ship off the coast.

  • Five minutes later, the entire group stood in the shadow of the cargo ship.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • A huge cargo ship was heading west toward New York or one of the Connecticut ports.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • We are here because a Japanese cargo ship sank in the Pacific.

  • It's time to bring the cargo ship to port and unload our freight.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Factories enter the global market on cargo ships that exit the port of Manaus.

  • Recently, the news has been reporting that there have been a lot of collisions between the whales and the cargo ships.

  • Jake Grafton looked past the cargo ships at the warehouses, barracks, and administration buildings baking in the warm Cuban sun.

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

ship
vscargo ship
1.0

A large boat that carries people or goods across the sea

is more specific because it focuses only on large transports used to move goods
vessel
vscargo ship
698 3.3

A large boat or ship used for travel on water

is narrower, referring specifically to large transports carrying goods between ports
freighter
vscargo ship
83 4.0

A large ship that carries goods between ports for sale

is the common general term for large transports between ports
merchant ship
vscargo ship
7 3.4

A ship that carries goods to sell

is the broad everyday name for large transports moving goods
container ship
vscargo ship
6 3.5

A large ship that carries many shipping containers

is the general term not limited to containerized cargo types
cargo vessel
vscargo ship
4 3.4

A ship that carries goods, often in containers

is the general name for large transports moving goods between ports
merchant vessel
vscargo ship
3 5.1

A ship that carries goods or passengers for business and is not part of a navy

is the simpler, general label for large transports used to move goods
Liberty ship
vscargo ship
  • Archaic
2 7.5

A large slow cargo ship built in the United States during World War Two to carry supplies and troops

is the ordinary category for large transports not tied to a historical type
container vessel
vscargo ship
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A large ship that carries many shipping containers across the sea

covers all large transports moving goods, not only containerized loads
containership
vscargo ship
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A large ship that carries many shipping containers

is the general category for large transports regardless of load type
cattle boat
vscargo ship
1 6.7

A ship that carries many cows and other farm animals

is the wider name for large transports carrying goods or materials
cargo liner
vscargo ship
4.8

A large ship that carries goods on regular routes at set times

is the broad term for large transports not limited to scheduled services
bulker
vscargo ship
  • Specialized
7.8

A large ship that carries loose goods like grain or coal

is broader and includes many cargo types beyond loose bulk materials
car carrier
vscargo ship
3.0

A large ship built to move thousands of cars between countries

is the general term for large transports moving different kinds of goods

How Heavy

freighter
83 4.0
cargo ship
26 3.0
tonner
  • UK
9.5
lorry
  • UK
11 3.5
van
676 1.0
car
1.0
bicycle
280 1.0

Surface Forms

cargo ship singular
cargo ships plural

Morphology

cargo + ship

The meaning 'a ship that carries goods' is directly derivable from combining 'cargo' (items transported) with 'ship' (a vessel), so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the compound. This noun–noun compound follows a transparent, cross-linguistically common compositional pattern and requires no idiomatic knowledge.

Etymology

The name cargo ship comes from a simple picture: a ship carrying a heavy load. Cargo means 'goods' or 'load' and ship is the boat, so the phrase means 'a large ship that carries goods'.