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destroyer escort

destroyer escort

1 8.0
A small military ship that escorts and protects convoys at sea
  • noun
  • /dɪˈstrɔɪər ˈɛskɔrt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : escolta de destructores
  • During the war, each convoy had a destroyer escort to ensure its safety across the ocean.

The story claims that the US Navy made the USS Eldridge destroyer escort.

Examples

  • The other one's a destroyer escort.

  • Nine colliers and a destroyer escort, sir.

  • U.S. losses included one carrier, two escort carriers, two destroyers, and a destroyer escort.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • One was a radarman on a destroyer escort around Okinawa during the Kamikaze attacks.

    Blog text (11)
  • Destroyer escorts are now replaced with missile-firing cruisers.

    Blog text (23)
  • Eusen is assigned to the USS Samuel B Roberts, a destroyer escort in the Atlantic Fleet.

  • "And it was then that Commander Chow realized what it was—the largest, most powerful vessel in the Philippine inventory, the PF-class destroyer escort frigate.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The naval fleet was accompanied by a small destroyer escort to protect against enemy submarines.

  • The commander ordered additional destroyer escorts to support the transport ships in hostile waters.

Synonyms

warship
vsdestroyer escort
140 3.6

A navy boat built for fighting at sea

is a smaller vessel dedicated to protecting convoys rather than general naval combat
destroyer
vsdestroyer escort
  • Specialized
62 7.3

A small fast warship with strong weapons that protects larger ships from submarines and planes

is smaller and focused on convoy protection rather than high speed and heavy armament
corvette
vsdestroyer escort
  • Specialized
43 8.2

A small, fast warship that escorts other ships

focuses on protecting convoys over long voyages rather than on quick agility
frigate
vsdestroyer escort
  • Specialized
5 8.2

A modern warship larger than a destroyer but smaller than a cruiser

is smaller and built chiefly to protect convoys at sea rather than overall combat
surface ship
vsdestroyer escort
  • Specialized
2 4.9

A military ship that moves and fights on the water's surface, not underwater

is specialized for convoy protection at sea rather than simply being surface operated
guided missile destroyer
vsdestroyer escort
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A fast military ship that carries weapons that can steer themselves to attack ships and aircraft

is smaller and used mainly to protect convoys rather than for heavy combat roles
guided missile frigate
vsdestroyer escort
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A navy ship with guided missiles that escorts and protects other ships

is smaller and meant for convoy defense rather than heavy missile combat
war vessel
vsdestroyer escort
  • Specialized
5.1

A ship a government uses for fighting at sea

is specifically sized and tasked to protect convoys rather than broad warfare

How Big

cruiser
  • Specialized
50 7.4
destroyer
  • Specialized
62 7.3
destroyer escort
  • Archaic
1 8.0
corvette
  • Specialized
43 8.2
patrol boat
  • Specialized
7 3.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

destroyer + escort

The compound is compositionally transparent: a B1 learner who knows 'destroyer' (a naval warship) and 'escort' (one who accompanies for protection) can infer it refers to a warship used to escort and protect. The exact technical detail (smaller than a destroyer) is specialist, but the core meaning is directly derivable and follows common noun+noun compounding patterns found cross-linguistically.

Etymology

Destroyer escort: The name destroyer escort comes from the words destroyer and escort, where a destroyer is a warship and to escort means to go with and protect. In World War II these ships acted like a 'bodyguard' for convoys, keeping them safe from submarines, so the name now means 'a small warship used to protect fleets or convoys'.