Fireship
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Fireship is a noun meaning (nautical, historical) A wooden ship set alight and then sent floating into an enemy flotilla, with the aim of spreading the fire among them.
Meaning
(nautical, historical) A wooden ship set alight and then sent floating into an enemy flotilla, with the aim of spreading the fire among them.
More Meanings
- (vulgar, slang) A diseased prostitute.
Example Sentences
Fireships were famously used by Sir Francis Drake when fighting the Spanish Armada of 1588.
His attempt in 208 to cross the Yangtse was frustrated in the famous battle of Ch'ih-pi, in which his immense fleet was destroyed by his enemies' fireships, and most of his army slain.
Word Forms
- fireships
Synonyms for fireship
Depending on context, synonyms include brulot.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include pirateship, shipentine, frigate, drake, spyship, fireball.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.