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Glite Dictionary
ship building

ship building

3.3
The process of making large boats like cargo ships or ferries
  • noun
  • /ʃɪp ˈbɪldɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : construcción naval
  • Now, there is no ship-building in Ukraine.

Examples

  • WINTER: This was shot in Cockatoo Island, in a historically preserved ship-building factory, but had great texture and...

    X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

  • The company specializes in ship building and has launched several new vessels this year.

  • In the 18th century, ship building techniques evolved to improve the durability of wooden ships.

  • The local economy relies heavily on ship building, providing jobs for many skilled workers.

Synonyms

shipbuilding
vsship building
7 3.6

A business that designs and makes ships to carry people or goods

focuses on the construction side rather than the design part
shipbuilding industry
vsship building
1 3.4

Businesses that build ships

also includes the actual process of making maritime vessels

How Big

ship building
  • Specialized
3.3
boatbuilding
1 3.4

Surface Forms

ship building singular
ship buildings plural

Morphology

ship + building

The meaning 'the process or industry of constructing ships' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'ship' (a vessel) with 'building' (the process/trade of construction). This is a productive compound pattern in English (and mirrored in many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Ship building comes from the image of big parts of a ship being put together in a yard, with workers and cranes building the ship. The words ship and building are literal, so ship building today means 'the process or industry of constructing ships'.