merchant vessel
3
5.1
- noun
- /ˈmɜrʧənt ˈvɛsəl/
:
embarcación mercante
- The cargo was loaded onto the merchant vessel for transport to Asia.
- attack on the merchant vessel
- pirates hijacked merchant vessels
- merchant vessels carrying
Examples
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A merchant vessel was in the vicinity when they arrived.
-
Did Roy serve on other merchant vessels during the war?
Blog text (16) -
The ships are heading towards the merchant vessel.
-
We head straight for the harbor, where the merchant vessels put in.
Fiction book (1995) -
You're safe and well on an American merchant vessel.
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This is emergency dispatch from merchant vessel Hunter Gratzner en route to the Tangier system with 40 commercial passengers on board.
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One day she was sighted off the coast of Portugal by a merchant vessel, the Dei Gratia.
Fiction book (2002) -
The harbor is navigable for the largest merchant vessels and men-of-war in existence, and is perfectly sheltered and easy of access.
Blog text (22) -
Since most are crewmembers on commercial merchant vessels, the price of their freedom will most assuredly be higher than the reported $1 million exacted as ransom for the Chandlers' release.
Academic text (2011) -
Recent cases, including the Cheung Son and the Tenyu, demonstrated that pirates hijacked merchant vessels, killed crew members, and/or robbed valuables on board the ships.
Academic text (2005)
Synonyms
137
1.3
A boat or ship that carries people, cars, and goods across water on a regular schedule
83
4.0
A large ship that carries goods between ports for sale
50
2.6
A large ship that carries people on holiday trips with places to sleep and entertainment
26
3.0
A large ship that carries goods between ports
7
3.4
A ship that carries goods to sell
4
3.4
A ship that carries goods, often in containers
3
2.2
A large ship that carries people, not cargo
3
2.6
A boat that carries people and cars across water on a regular route
1
8.9
A ship that carries goods for trade, often between countries
1
3.9
A large ship that carries many shipping containers across the sea
1
4.4
A large ship that carries many shipping containers
A ship or crew member that carries goods in space
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a ship used for commercial transport' is directly derivable from combining 'merchant' (commerce) with 'vessel' (ship). This literal noun+noun composition is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English compounding, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
Merchant vessel comes from the simple image of a merchant (a person who sells goods) using a vessel (a ship or container) to carry those goods. So it means 'a ship used for trade', not a navy ship.