navy

American  

[ney-vee] / ˈneɪ vi /

noun

plural

navies

1. the whole body of warships and auxiliaries belonging to a country or ruler.

2. (often initial capital letter) the complete body of such warships together with their officers and enlisted personnel, equipment, yards, etc., constituting the sea power of a nation.

3. (often initial capital letter) the department of government charged with its management.

4. navy blue.

5. Archaic. a fleet of ships.

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adjective

1. belonging or connected to a navy; naval.

   navy vessels in the harbor;

   a navy officer with combat experience aboard a submarine.

2. of the color navy blue.

   Either tie will look great with your navy suit.

navy British  

/ ˈneɪvɪ /

noun

1. the warships and auxiliary vessels of a nation or ruler

2. (often capital) the branch of a country's armed services comprising such ships, their crews, and all their supporting services and equipment

3. short for navy blue

4. archaic a fleet of ships

5. ( as modifier )

   a navy custom

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Other Word Forms

• pronavy adjective

Etymology

Origin of navy

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English navie, from Middle French, from unattested Vulgar Latin navia, equivalent to Latin nāv(is) “ship” + -ia noun suffix ( -y ³ )

Example Sentences

It also could include construction of a nuclear-powered submarine for the South Korean navy.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This is what we have the navy for. We have trained our marines for this,” he said in an interview at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal

China creating a ‘Polar Silk Road’ is a bit like Kansas declaring itself a coastal state and building a navy.

From MarketWatch

He said the DSO medal was an "easy spot" because it is such an exceptional award, and said only a small percentage of those who join the navy reach rear admiral.

From BBC

A man has been fined £500 after admitting to dressing as a navy admiral without permission at a Remembrance Sunday event.

From BBC