merchant ship
7
3.4
- noun
- /ˈmɜrʧənt ʃɪp/
:
buque mercante
- The merchant ship carried thousands of tons of goods across the ocean for trade.
- arm American merchant ships
The system was that all merchant ships crossing the Atlantic would sail in groups with an escort.
- The system was that all merchant ships crossing the Atlantic would sail in groups with an escort.
Examples
-
We were standing on the tilted deck of an old, wrecked merchant ship.
Academic text (2009) -
Built in Boston in 1794, its first mission was to protect American merchant ships from the Barbary pirates.
Blog text (15) -
And just two days ago a merchant ship went down... near port Angeles Washington.
-
You are charged with the theft of goods from a certain merchant ship.
-
In another time, the vessel would have been a merchant ship, following a busy trade route.
Academic text (2011) -
And our American merchant ships must be protected by our American Navy.
-
One of their merchant ships sank six months ago.
-
In one telling scene, a French merchant ship comes to trade with Tupinamba allies.
Academic text (2000) -
Convoys and escorts for the merchant ships were the best protection.
-
Sir, I am Edmond Dantes, second mate of the merchant ship Pharaon, on our way home to Marseilles.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A large boat that carries people or goods across the sea
698
3.3
A large boat or ship used for travel on water
83
4.0
A large ship that carries goods between ports for sale
26
3.0
A large ship that carries goods between ports
4
3.4
A ship that carries goods, often in containers
3
5.1
A ship that carries goods or passengers for business and is not part of a navy
1
8.9
A ship that carries goods for trade, often between countries
1
4.4
A large ship that carries many shipping containers
1
3.9
A large ship that carries many shipping containers across the sea
A large ship that carries goods on regular routes at set times
A ship or crew member that carries goods in space
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a ship used for transporting cargo or commercial goods' is directly and compositionally derived from 'merchant' (commerce-related) + 'ship' (vessel). This straightforward noun + noun combination follows common compounding patterns found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Merchant ship comes from a simple image: a merchant, a person who buys and sells goods, on a ship loaded with boxes and barrels for trade. Merchants used these ships to move goods between ports, so the phrase means 'a ship used for transporting cargo or commercial goods'.