noun
warship
WAW-shihp
noun
1
A ship built or equipped for combat at sea.
"The warship patrolled the strait for weeks before returning to port."
"Naval historians love debating which warship changed the course of the battle."
2
In science fiction, a spacecraft built or armed for combat.
"The fleet's flagship warship jumped to hyperspace just as the enemy arrived."
How to Use Warship
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA ship (or, in sci-fi, a spacecraft) designed and armed for military combat.
Common pairings
naval warship
a fleet of warships
armed warship
Word Forms
warships plural, Warships plural
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Etymology
A straightforward compound of war and ship, describing exactly what it is — a ship built for war.