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about ship

1 American  

interjection

  1. (as a command) put the ship about.


about-ship 2 American  
[uh-bout-ship] / əˌbaʊtˈʃɪp /

verb (used without object)

about-shipped, about-shipping
  1. Nautical. to tack.


about-ship British  

verb

  1. (intr) nautical to manoeuvre a vessel onto a new tack

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of about ship1

First recorded in 1865–70

Origin of about-ship1

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While the incident will undoubtedly raise larger questions about ship and port safety protocols, so far there is no indication the pilots on the Dali did anything wrong given the immediate situation they faced.

From Seattle Times

“But we can be better at collecting … intelligence, sharing information, connecting the dots, because also in the private sector there is a lot of information” about ship movements and maritime surveillance, he added.

From Washington Times

A Pentagon official said U.S. diplomats in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, had been in touch with counterparts in the government there about ship visit procedures and requisite clearances.

From New York Times

Last week, a blast struck the cargo ship in the same waterway, raising alarms about ship security in the Mideast.

From Washington Times

Prosecutors say nine sailors from the 7th Fleet flagship leaked classified information about ship movements and other secrets to Francis, a Malaysian citizen, making the Blue Ridge perhaps the most widely compromised U.S. military headquarters of the modern era.

From Washington Post