lightship

American

[lahyt-ship] / ˈlaɪtˌʃɪp /

noun

a ship anchored in a specific location and displaying or flashing a very bright light for the guidance of ships, as in avoiding dangerous areas. LS

lightship British

/ ˈlaɪtˌʃɪp /

noun

a ship equipped as a lighthouse and moored where a fixed structure would prove impracticable

"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 lightship

First recorded in 1830–40; light ¹ + ship ¹

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.

It’s a lightship – a ship that acts as a lighthouse and marks the start of British waters.

From The Guardian • Sep. 23, 2020

On the south coast the Royal Sovereign lightship witnessed an average wind speed of 86mph.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2017

While you’re there, explore the steamship Lilac, free, which will soon be joined by the lightship Nantucket.

From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2015

Everybody else was on the ground, between the Peking and the lightship Ambrose, facing the stage, with the East River beyond it.

From The New Yorker • Jul. 14, 2014

Osh went straight to his easel, where he’d been working on a painting of Mouse curled up in a lightship basket, her tail hanging over the rim.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

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