battleship

views updated May 23 2018

battleship Most powerful type of naval warship in use during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The largest battleships, the Musachi and the Yamato, displaced more than 72,000 tonnes and were built by the Japanese. Both were sunk in World War II. Battleships combined the thickest armour and the most powerful naval guns. Modern battleships also carry a variety of missile systems. See also aircraft carrier; cruiser

World Encyclopedia

battleship

views updated May 21 2018

bat·tle·ship / ˈbatlˌship/ • n. a heavy warship of a type built chiefly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with extensive armor and large-caliber guns.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

battleship

views updated Jun 11 2018

battleship XIX. Short for line-of-battle ship (XVIII) ship designed to fight in line of battle.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

battleship

All Sources -
Updated Aug 24 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like