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war vessel

war vessel

5.1
A ship a government uses for fighting at sea
  • noun
  • /wɔr ˈvɛsəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : buque de guerra
  • He also explained the large part played by intimidation in diplomatic affairs, and that it was not uncommon for such missions to be transported in a nation's latest, most powerful war vessel.

Examples

  • The other restrictions in minor war vessels relate to issues of privacy: such vessels do not have the space for separate mess facilities seen as needed for gender-mixed crews.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Unless Rozanov is finding power motorboat will be coming many US of American air machines and the war vessels.

  • "Gamay pointed out merchant ships and war vessels similar to those carved into the walls of the structure Chi showed her earlier.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The navy deployed a new war vessel to patrol the coastline and deter potential threats.

  • During the battle, the war vessel proved its might by successfully engaging enemy ships.

  • The captain proudly commanded the historic war vessel that had served in multiple conflicts.

Synonyms

warship
vswar vessel
140 3.6

A navy boat built for fighting at sea

is the broader government ship category rather than only navy use
battleship
vswar vessel
  • Archaic
68 5.5

A large ship used in war with thick metal armor and big guns

is the general government-owned combat ship type rather than this heavy large class
destroyer
vswar vessel
  • Specialized
62 7.3

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

is the general government combat ship type rather than this specialized escort defender
gunboat
vswar vessel
  • Specialized
7 6.6

A small armed boat that moves in shallow water near coasts and rivers

is the broader government combat ship type rather than this shallow water patrol craft
patrol boat
vswar vessel
  • Specialized
7 3.5

A small boat that watches for danger and protects a coast or harbor

is the broader government combat ship category rather than this small security vessel
battle cruiser
vswar vessel
  • Archaic
5 7.2

A large warship with big guns made to be fast but with lighter armor than a battleship

is the broader government fighting ship category not focused on speed or lighter armor
patrol ship
vswar vessel
  • Specialized
4 3.7

A ship used by the navy or coast guard to watch and protect the sea

is the general government fighting ship type rather than mainly area monitoring craft
surface ship
vswar vessel
  • Specialized
2 4.9

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

is the general government ship category regardless of operating above or below water
combat ship
vswar vessel
1 5.3

A navy ship built to fight at sea

is the general term for any government-owned fighting ship rather than this specific label
torpedo boat
vswar vessel
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A small fast military boat that fires underwater bombs near the coast

is the broader government ship category rather than this narrow attack-focused type
destroyer escort
vswar vessel
  • Archaic
1 8.0

A small military ship that escorts and protects convoys at sea

is the general government fighting ship type rather than this smaller convoy protector
guard ship
vswar vessel
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A navy ship kept ready to respond quickly to emergencies

is the standard government fighting ship not necessarily maintained at high readiness
sloop of war
vswar vessel
  • Archaic
9.9

A small military ship with guns on one deck used to fight at sea

is the broader government combat ship type not limited to single deck armament
sailing warship
vswar vessel
  • Archaic
9.4

A large armed ship that uses sails and carries heavy guns before the mid 1800s

is the general government fighting ship term not restricted to sail propulsion or era
torpedo-boat destroyer
vswar vessel
  • Archaic
9.9

A small navy ship that protects larger ships by attacking fast boats with torpedoes

is the broader government ship category rather than this early historical defensive type
fire ship
vswar vessel
  • Archaic
9.9

A ship filled with bombs and sent toward enemy ships to burn them

is the broader government ship category rather than this sacrificial incendiary weapon

Antonyms

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

How Armed

battleship
  • Archaic
68 5.5
cruiser
  • Specialized
50 7.4
war vessel
  • Specialized
5.1
destroyer
  • Specialized
62 7.3
corvette
  • Specialized
43 8.2
patrol boat
  • Specialized
7 3.5

Surface Forms

war vessel singular
war vessels plural

Morphology

war + vessel

The meaning 'a ship used for warfare' is directly derivable from combining 'war' (armed hostilities) with 'vessel' (a ship), following a regular noun-noun compound pattern. This compositional structure is cross-linguistically common (e.g. 'buque de guerra', 'bateau de guerre'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

War vessel comes from putting war and vessel together: vessel was an old word for a 'ship' and war means 'fighting'. So the image is a ship made and armed to fight, and that's why the term now means a government ship used in war.