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
- self-destroyer noun
Etymology
Origin of destroyer
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English destroiere (compare Old French destruiere ); destroy, -er 1
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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.
North Korea also recently carried out missile tests from the naval Choe Hyon destroyer, claiming the country was in the process of "arming the Navy with nuclear weapons".
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
He said the Type 45 destroyer would leave "in the next few days, as soon as it's got ammunition on board" but did not say how long it would take to arrive in the Mediterranean.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
A Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon, has been deployed to the region but will not be ready to leave Portsmouth until next week.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
Navy destroyer in the eastern Mediterranean shot down the missile, a U.S. official and a regional official said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
He was picked out of the water by a destroyer.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
