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corvette

corvette

43 8.2
A small, fast warship that escorts other ships
  • noun
  • /kɔrˈvɛt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : corbeta
  • The back wheels of Jack's Corvette spun around, dug in, and held.

Examples

  • "Targets, sir?" "Target the southern corvette, turn, and target the eastern frigate," he said in a low voice.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The car was actually a McBirney kit on top of a Corvette chassis.

    Academic text (1999)
  • A young gas attendant slides out from under a Corvette he's working on in the garage.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Kenny's red Corvette was parked in the driveway, so I pulled up at the curb.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Dirk gets around to the driver's side of the Corvette, shielded and crouched.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Dirk drives off with the front of the Corvette shredding along the pavement.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The navy deployed a corvette to escort the larger ships during the naval exercise.

  • During the drill, the corvette demonstrated its agility by swiftly changing direction.

  • The corvette patrolled the coastline, ensuring the safety of nearby vessels from potential threats.

Synonyms

warship
vscorvette
140 3.6

A navy boat built for fighting at sea

is specifically a small escort much smaller and more maneuverable than that
surface ship
vscorvette
  • Specialized
2 4.9

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

is a small escort warship designed for high maneuverability
destroyer escort
vscorvette
  • Archaic
1 8.0

A small military ship that escorts and protects convoys at sea

is more highly maneuverable and used for varied escort roles

How Big

battleship
  • Archaic
68 5.5
cruiser
  • Specialized
50 7.4
frigate
  • Specialized
5 8.2
destroyer
  • Specialized
62 7.3
corvette
  • Specialized
43 8.2
patrol boat
  • Specialized
7 3.5

Surface Forms

corvette singular
corvettes plural

Etymology

The word corvette comes from French and has the small ending -ette, like in cigarette, so it literally means a 'little ship'. That's why a corvette is a small, fast warship often used to escort other ships.