dreadnought
Americannoun
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a type of battleship armed with heavy-caliber guns in turrets: so called from the British battleship Dreadnought, launched in 1906, the first of its type.
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an outer garment of heavy woolen cloth.
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a thick cloth with a long pile.
noun
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a battleship armed with heavy guns of uniform calibre
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an overcoat made of heavy cloth
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slang a heavyweight boxer
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a person who fears nothing
Etymology
Origin of dreadnought
Compare meaning
How does dreadnought compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A dreadnought is a battleship equipped with large guns of the same caliber. A dreadnought comes in handy in a sea war. There are a lot of types of boats, such as sailboats and yachts, but this is a boat with an unfriendly mission: war. Sometimes spelled dreadnaught, this battleship was bigger and speedier than previous battleships. It also packed impressive firepower in the form of high-caliber guns. It was named after the HMS Dreadnought, which set sail in 1906. However, the word goes back to the late 17th century when it meant a fearless person (who dreaded naught — nothing).
Vocabulary lists containing dreadnought
World War I
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The Devil in the White City
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The Shining
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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.
A further expansion of the Rosyth yard's work is to become a third base for the next generation of nuclear-armed submarines, the Dreadnought class.
From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025
So, that became kind of the theme song of the Dreadnought excavation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025
In that year, Britain debuted an entirely new class of ship when the HMS Dreadnought set sail.
From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022
BAE Systems is also building the Dreadnought class of submarine, that will replace the Vanguard that carries Britain's independent nuclear deterrent, with the first due to enter service in the early 2030s, the company said.
From Reuters • Aug. 31, 2022
A flare-back in the forward turret of the Dreadnought on which they are serving gives the lads their longed-for opportunity to show the stuff they are made of.
From The Boy Scouts On The Range by Payson, Lieut. Howard
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.
