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
Derived 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.
Under the plan, HMS Dragon - the air defence destroyer that is already on its way to the Middle East - will also "be ready for any mission" to secure the strait, the MoD said.
From BBC • May 12, 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
The U.S. military had taken seriously the risk of an Iranian missile strike and had positioned a guided-missile destroyer near the base, U.S. officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
Friday’s missiles missed their target—one failed in flight and the other disappeared after a Navy destroyer launched SM-3 interceptors at them, U.S. officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
The “little boy” could be a small warship, perhaps a destroyer or torpedo boat.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
