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Glite Dictionary
to christen the new ship

to christen the new ship

7.0
Give a new ship its name at a ceremony
  • phrasal verb
  • Formal
translation icon : bautizar el nuevo barco
  • Traditionally, a bottle of champagne is broken to christen the new ship.

Examples

  • The shipyard invited the mayor to christen the new ship during the launch event.

  • Dozens gathered at the port to watch the navy christen the new ship this morning.

  • They will christen the new ship next Saturday.

  • The company christened the new ship with great fanfare.

  • Dozens gathered at the port to watch the navy christen the new ship this morning.

  • The shipyard invited the mayor to christen the new ship during the launch event.

  • Traditionally, a bottle of champagne is broken to christen the new ship.

Synonyms

to christen
vsto christen the new ship
10 4.7

To officially give a name to someone or something in a ceremony

is used only for naming a new ship with a formal bottle breaking ritual

Surface Forms

christen the new ship infinitive
christened the new ship past
christened the new ship past participle
christening the new ship present participle
christens the new ship third person singular

Morphology

christen + the + new + ship

The verb 'christen' means to formally give a name, and combined with the clear noun phrase 'the new ship' the meaning 'to officially name a newly built ship' is directly derivable from the constituent words. While specific ceremonial details (e.g., breaking a bottle) are cultural, the core naming action is compositional and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the parts.

Etymology

The verb christen the new ship comes from a simple naming scene: someone would christen a ship by blessing it and breaking a bottle on the front of the boat while saying its new name. So, the phrase now means 'to officially name a newly built ship'.