hospital ship

American

noun

a ship built to serve as a hospital, especially used to treat the wounded in wartime and accorded safe passage by international law.

Etymology

Origin of hospital ship

First recorded in 1675–85

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.

As for sending that hospital ship to Greenland, Jeff Landry still wants to make that happen.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

The Greenlandic and Danish governments have said the island doesn’t need a U.S. hospital ship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

Greenland does not need medical assistance from other countries, Denmark's defence minister said Sunday, after US President Donald Trump claimed he was sending a hospital ship to the autonomous Danish territory that he covets.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

The vessel was requisitioned by the British Admiralty during the war to serve as a hospital ship.

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025

He organized a floating hospital ship and had it moored in the Congo River.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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