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.
Kim’s young daughter joined the inspection on Thursday, standing behind her father as he met with navy sailors and dined with the crew on the destroyer.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
The Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Dragon, is now providing additional air defences operating off the coast of Cyprus.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 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
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
"Not much hope of waking Lou. German destroyer sank his sub in 1941, off the Orkneys. She"—Joe nodded back at Mrs. Gretton—"never really got over it, poor love."
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
