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Synonyms

destroyer

American  
[dih-stroi-er] / dɪˈstrɔɪ ər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that destroys.

  2. a fast, relatively small, warship armed mainly with 5-inch (13-centimeter) guns.

destroyer British  
/ dɪˈstrɔɪə /

noun

  1. a small fast lightly armoured but heavily armed warship

  2. a person or thing that destroys

"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

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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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.