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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-ship2

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 • Mar. 28, 2024

“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 • Jun. 16, 2023

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 • Aug. 30, 2022

Court papers portray Francis as a master manipulator who persuaded Navy officials to feed him classified information about ship movements and confidential contract information that he used to undercut his competitors.

From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2017

One remembers Hampden "seeking the Lord" about ship money, and one realizes that the same act may have a vastly different significance in different temperaments.

From Abraham Lincoln and the Union; a chronicle of the embattled North by Stephenson, Nathaniel W. (Nathaniel Wright)