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  • about ship
    about ship
    interjection
    (as a command) put the ship about.
  • about-ship
    about-ship
    verb (used without object)
    to tack.

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.

See Examples For:

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

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

But they also raise basic questions about ship leadership.

From Washington Times Aug. 23, 2017

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

Next day, just at dawn, I was startled from my hammock by the cry of "All hands about ship and shorten sail!"

From White Jacket or, the World on a Man-of-War by Herman Melville

“Now, if that su’thin’ had kep’ quiet, I do believe that I’d have gone about-ship an’ showed her my heels, but that su’thin’, whatever it was, set up my dander.

From The Buffalo Runners A Tale of the Red River Plains by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne

“What may be the circumstance that has caused your mind to go about-ship just now?” asked Dan, stirring the fire under the robbiboo-kettle.

From The Buffalo Runners A Tale of the Red River Plains by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne

But when they saw Redruth waiting for them in the sparred gallery, they went about-ship at once, and a head popped out again on deck.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson Swanston Edition Vol. 6 (of 25) by Robert Louis Stevenson

"Nothing," said he, "only I am going to about-ship."

From Acadia or, A Month with the Blue Noses by Frederic S. Cozzens

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