destroyer
Americannoun
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a person or thing that destroys.
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a fast, relatively small, warship armed mainly with 5-inch (13-centimeter) guns.
noun
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a small fast lightly armoured but heavily armed warship
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a person or thing that destroys
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of destroyer
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English destroiere (compare Old French destruiere ); see destroy, -er 1
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Vocabulary lists containing destroyer
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.
Under the plan, HMS Dragon - the air defence destroyer that is already on its way to the Middle East - will also "be ready for any mission" to secure the strait, the MoD said.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
The battleship, which officials have said would weigh 30,000-40,000 tons, is expected to be up to four times the size of a modern destroyer.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
France has sent its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to the region, and the UK on Saturday said it was sending a destroyer, HMS Dragon.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
The government has since dispatched HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, to the region to protect the base, as part of wider defensive efforts.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
He ordered a second American destroyer, the Turner Joy, to join the Maddox.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
