factory ship

American

[fak-tuh-ree ship, -tree] / ˈfæk tə ri ˌʃɪp, -tri /

noun

a whaling ship equipped to process killed whales and to transport the oil and by-products.
Also called factory trawler. a large fishing vessel, usually a stern trawler, equipped for processing and freezing fish at sea.

factory ship British

noun

a fishing boat that processes the fish that are caught

"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

Etymology

Origin of factory ship

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

Mr Watson's foundation said he was on his way to "intercepting Japan's newly-built factory ship, the Kangei Maru, in the North Pacific".

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2024

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Two minke whales are hauled up the ramp of the Nisshin Maru, a Japanese factory ship, in 2013.

From The Guardian • Nov. 17, 2015

Last year Aker, which started harvesting krill in 2006, bought a second factory ship.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2012

Instead of being dragged alongside, the whale is pulled aboard a "floating factory" ship and converted into oil right on the spot.

From Time Magazine Archive

Farm and factory, ship and wagon train, new streets, extension of the city and material progress show every advancement.

From The Little Lady of Lagunitas A Franco-Californian Romance by Savage, Richard

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023