man-of-war

[man-uh v-wawr]

noun, plural men-of-war.

a warship.

Portuguese man-of-war.

Origin of man-of-war

1400–50 in sense “soldier”; late Middle English

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for man-of-war

Historical Examples of man-of-war

The Americans exulted at the failure of the man-of-war's man, and the English doubted.
Homeward Bound
James Fenimore Cooper
It is, in short, the man-of-war that was in St. Blas when we left there.
An Old Sailor's Yarns
Nathaniel Ames
Once, I remember, we came upon a man-of-war anchored off the coast.
Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad
Then all the guns were fakes, and the whole business of a man-of-war as well?
The Harbor of Doubt
Frank Williams
Carlos came to the side, and looked after the man-of-war in the distance.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer

British Dictionary definitions for man-of-war

man-of-war

man o' war

noun plural men-of-war or men o' war

a warship

See Portuguese man-of-war

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

Word Origin and History for man-of-war

late 14c., "a soldier," from man (n.) + war. Meaning "vessel equipped for warfare" is from late 15c. Man in the sense of "a ship" is attested from late 15c. in combinations (e.g. merchantman). The sea creature known as the Portuguese man-of-war (1707) is so called for its sail-like crest.