minesweeper

American  

[mahyn-swee-per] / ˈmaɪnˌswi pər /

noun

Navy.

1. a specially equipped ship used for dragging a body of water in order to remove or destroy enemy mines.

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minesweeper British  

/ ˈmaɪnˌswiːpə /

noun

1. a naval vessel equipped to detect and clear mines

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Other Word Forms

• minesweeping
  noun

Etymology

Origin of minesweeper

First recorded in 1900–05; mine ² + sweeper

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minesweeper

In the 1850s, Russia made the first systematic defensive use of naval mines during the Crimean War, which the British countered with an early form of minesweeper.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

"A traditional minesweeper which is conducting slow, painstaking work is going to find it tricky to hunt for mines and deactivate them if they are also under air and surface attack," he said.

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026

Leona Woods Marshall Libby: My brother-in-law was a captain of the first bombs’ minesweeper scheduled into Sasebo harbor.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 20, 2023

State television’s military channel identified the ships being sent as the guided missile frigate Yulin and the minesweeper hunter Chibi.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2023

But I scanned the room from the corners of my eyes, back and forth like a minesweeper, for Claire the Vengeful.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan