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Glite Dictionary
minelayer

minelayer

1 9.5
A ship or vehicle that drops explosive mines in the sea to block ships
  • noun
  • /ˈmaɪnˌleɪər/
  • Specialized
: minador
  • During the training exercise, the minelayer demonstrated how to effectively lay mines in shallow waters.

Examples

  • The minelayer deployed its mines in the designated area to secure the naval base.

  • The third attack was made by one torpedo plane, which appeared from the west and was directed against the light cruiser Helena and the minelayer Oglala, both of which were temporarily occupying the berth previously assigned to the battleship Pennsylvania, flagship of the Pacific Fleet.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The military used a minelayer to create a blockade against enemy ships in the strait.

Surface Forms

minelayer singular
minelayers plural

Morphology

minelayer = mine + layer (transparent) = mine + layer

Clear compound of 'mine' (explosive device) + 'layer' (one who lays), directly indicating something that lays mines.

Etymology

The word minelayer joins mine, meaning an explosive device like landmine, and layer, meaning one who 'lays' or 'puts' things down. So a minelayer is a ship or vehicle that 'puts' mines in the sea.