capital ship

American

noun

one of a class of the largest warships; a battleship, battle cruiser, or aircraft carrier.

capital ship British

noun

one of the largest and most heavily armed ships in a naval fleet

"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 capital ship

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:

capital ship

The Russian capital ship the Moskva was sunk in the Black Sea by a Neptune antiship missile.

From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2023

Two teams go head to head with the ultimate goal of taking down the other’s capital ship.

From The Verge ● Oct. 9, 2020

They keep the frontline away from your capital ship while also providing a resupply point during the attack phases.

From The Verge ● Oct. 9, 2020

Up early, Premier Mussolini went out first to the capital ship Conte di Cavour, received the Realmleader and the King-Emperor when they came aboard.

From Time Magazine Archive

We had a good voyage, in a capital ship, and under the charge of as good a captain as ever sailed the ocean.

From Young Americans Abroad Vacation in Europe: Travels in England, France, Holland, Belgium, Prussia and Switzerland by J.O. Choules

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023